Rams respond to Matthew Stafford trade rumors

Dec 13, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

There have been multiple reports that the Los Angeles Rams tried hard to part ways with Matthew Stafford this offseason, but the team is now insisting that was never the case.

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi said during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that that the Rams “put a lot of effort” into trying to trade Stafford before the quarterback’s 2023 option bonus kicked in. There were no takers.

Colin Cowherd said something similar on his FOX Sports 1 show this week. The longtime radio host claimed the Rams were “frustrated” with Stafford after the 35-year-old refused to restructure his contract.

OH NO: Quarterback Matthew Stafford declined the #Rams request to re-do his contract, per @ColinCowherd of @FS1.

“I was told by a source I trust that they wanted to re-do his contract,” Cowherd said, via @ProFootballTalk. “He wasn’t interested. It limits what they can do and… pic.twitter.com/onr3vNPhkL

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) July 18, 2023

Rams COO Kevin Demoff says none of that is true. During an appearance on The Athletic’s “11 Personnel” podcast this week, Demoff noted how the Rams could have just walked away from Stafford’s $59 million guarantee back in March if they wanted to.

“We could’ve walked away this year, free and clear, for $0. No future money owed. So there was no need to restructure,” Demoff said, as transcribed by Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. “If we wanted out of Matthew’s deal, we could’ve walked away. We didn’t have to trade him to relieve the $58.5 million. We could’ve just walked away. To me, that’s where there’s a fundamental understanding of what his deal was that drives the narrative, ‘Oh, we were desperately trying to get rid of that.’”

Demoff also said there is a difference between engaging in “casual conversations” with inquiring teams and trying desperately to trade a player. He admitted the Rams did the former.

Stafford is under contract with the Rams through 2026. He is still capable of producing at a high level, but there have been some troubling reports about his health. If Demoff and company are concerned about that, they certainly are not going to admit it now.