A blockbuster trade proposal has the Los Angeles Rams sending Matthew Stafford to a heated NFC rival in a move that would drastically shake up the NFL landscape.

Though Matthew Stafford hasn’t requested a move from the Rams, they recently granted the 37-year-old permission to speak to other teams about a possible trade. He has two years remaining on the four-year extension he signed in 2022 after leading Los Angeles to a Super Bowl 56 championship.

Like the old Bill Belichick-led New England Patriots, the Rams run by the philosophy that it’s better to get rid of a star player one year too early than a year too late. We saw them do this with Jalen Ramsey, Robert Woods, and Todd Gurley, and wide receiver Cooper Kupp faces a similar fate.

Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated proposed a blockbuster trade idea that has the Rams trading Matthew Stafford to the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams in exchange for fourth-year quarterback Brock Purdy:

“The Rams most likely want a young quarterback to pair with their young, revamped roster. They reportedly would have drafted Bo Nix last year if he had fallen to them in Round 1. So maybe they would like Purdy who is similar to Nix.

Meanwhile, the 49ers are desperate to win a Super Bowl with their current core of aging veterans. They have a much older team than the Rams. And Stafford is a significantly better quarterback than Purdy.

Of course, Stafford also is 12 years older than Purdy, so trading for Stafford would be an all-in move. But why not go all in? Why not give this aging core its best chance to finally win a Super Bowl?”

Purdy is eligible for a contract extension as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. His market is tough to judge, though, since many quarterbacks have had success in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. 

The Rams would surely rather trade Stafford to a non-division rival, ideally to a team in the AFC. The Stafford-for-Purdy trade idea is compelling and works for San Fran if they want to go all-in for 2025, but it’s hard to envision the Rams doing business with an archenemy.

Matthew Stafford Could Still Return To The Rams

Remember, Stafford didn’t outright request a trade from the Rams. There’s still a real possibility that he stays in LA if the two parties can’t find a trade destination for his liking.

One can argue that the Rams are better off keeping Stafford anyway. He was, after all, one more touchdown pass away from eliminating the Philadelphia Eagles and sending LA to the NFC Championship Game.