Report: Steelers Have Expressed Interest in Matthew Stafford
In addition to several other teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“The teams you’d suspect would have their hat in the ring have, indeed, thrown their hats in the ring. The New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and others have shown interest,” Breer wrote.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network revealed on the Rich Eisen Show on Friday that the Rams have allowed Stafford’s agent to talk to other teams to gauge his market value if a trade does occur.
Stafford and the Rams are expected to re-visit his contract this offseason after a renegotiation in 2024 left him without much in the way of guaranteed salary going forward. That contract hangup has yet to be resolved, and that continues to be the cause of uncertainty surrounding his future with the team, prompting trade rumors from around the NFL.
Breer added that teams got permission from the Rams to talk over two weeks ago, so the process has been well underway.
“I’m not sure how the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford put this whole thing back together, but it’s going to take some work this week. And that, as I see it, is because Los Angeles, at this point, is working with a quarterback who knows what his value is to the other teams,” Breer wrote.
“During the week leading up to Super Bowl LIX, Stafford’s camp got permission from the Rams to talk to other teams—so his reps have already had two weeks to test the market and see who’d be willing to give up trade compensation and a big, new contract to land the 37-year-old star. It’s only steeled belief that, given the changing conditions of quarterback cost, he should be among the nine signal-callers now on deals averaging over $50 million per year.”
Trade compensation has been discussed with multiple teams for Matthew Stafford, according to Pelissero:
“What I would tell you is that conversations are ongoing. I am told the Rams also now have engaged with some of those other teams, there are multiple interested. Trade compensation has been discussed. There’s nothing imminent as of this moment. But certainly the Rams are getting their ducks in a row to make a decision sooner rather than later,” Pelissero said on Good Morning Football.
The Rams reportedly would demand a first-round pick in return for a trade for Stafford, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher-Report. That certainly would be a steep price for the Steelers to pay for trading for the 37-year-old signal caller.
According to extensive reporting by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, there is a hesitation by the Rams to pay Stafford an amount of money in 2025 that may hamper the team’s future efforts to lock up its young core.
“If you’re trading for the guy and it’s going to take a significant pick – let’s just say it’s going to be a second-round pick – you’re going to want to know, ‘Am I getting this guy for one year? Two years? Three years?’ And that’s why the Rams have been willing to let Stafford’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, who’s very experienced in these matters, to go out and just figure out, what would other teams be willing to do?” Pelissero said.
“It certainly sounds as if the priority is for Stafford to return to the L.A. Rams, but again, this went all the way into July, if not August last year before they were able to work out a deal. We’ll see which direction this goes here, but to the point you made at the top, it would make sense for this to one way or another come to a head within the next few weeks here because everybody is going to need an alternative if they’re not able to work something out in L.A.”
Dan Graziano of ESPN believes the Stafford situation will be resolved soon, maybe even at the early portion of this week.
“I think the Rams would like to have this resolved sooner rather than later. Ideally, maybe the early part of this week so they can get to some other business at the Combine,” Graziano said on SportsCenter Monday morning. “They have been talking to Matthew Stafford about what a new contract would look like. It’s certainly possible they reach an agreement, and he stays there, but it’s also possible that they don’t, in which case other teams would be interested in trading for Stafford. We’ve heard the Giants connected as a possibility a lot, so, but I do think we’ll have some clarity on this here in the coming days.”