The Los Angeles Rams are suddenly facing a major crossroads for the franchise with trade rumors circulating around both star QB Matthew Stafford and Super Bowl MVP WR Cooper Kupp.
It seems the organization itself wants to trade Kupp but still thinks Stafford can lead the team to success with Puka Nacua as his top option, a fair stance given how close the Rams came to beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round. Nonetheless, a reported asking price has leaked should Los Angeles part ways with its QB to begin a rebuild.
The Rams want a first-round pick, and luckily for them, one team in particular could be willing to pay that and then some. Should Los Angeles want to pull off the move, this projected trade makes a lot of sense for both sides.
Rams Trade Matthew Stafford to Steelers in Major Projected Move
In this projected trade, the Rams send Matthew Stafford and a 2025 sixth-round selection, which happened to belong to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first place, away in exchange for the No. 21 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft along with a 2026 third-rounder.
From Los Angeles' perspective, it'd be hard to pass up the chance to accelerate the rebuild in this fashion if you truly believe the window of contention is shut. You'd pick twice in the first 26 selections and be loaded with ample capital in future drafts as well. As a bonus, you wouldn't have to deal with Stafford's two cap hits hovering around $50 million over the next two seasons.
As for the Steelers, this feels like a lot to pay. That said, Pittsburgh has a projected $60 million in cap space, making it easy to take Stafford's contract on, and their roster is built to compete. They haven't had a signal caller of Stafford's caliber since prime Ben Roethlisberger days. Considering that, a first-round and future third-round pick seems like a small price to pay for two or more chances to win a Super Bowl.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's recent playoff failures add pressure to the organization and Stafford is one of the best postseason QBs of the last two decades. It'd be a blockbuster, but this trade would benefit both franchises in the present and future.