Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers are the big names in the NFL trade market, but a Super Bowl winner might also be available.
The Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, which means teams are free to talk to the MVP quarterback and offer him a deal. Baltimore will get the opportunity to match, and if it doesn’t, it will acquire two first-round picks.
The New York Jets reportedly are “on the brink” of acquiring Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, which has driven up interest in their Super Bowl hopes.
But the Los Angeles Rams apparently are calling teams to gauge interest on their quarterback, according to a former NFL executive.
“Matt Stafford is fully available. They would love to trade him,” Mike Lombardi said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday. “They can’t do it because he’s got $57 million guaranteed. … The Rams, what are they going to do? They’re trying to get out from him. So I don’t really want to hear the (expletive). ‘Oh, we’re not trying to trade him.’ Yes, you are. You’ve called teams. I know this. I don’t really care what they say. They all lie about it. I lied about it.”
Stafford won’t become a free agent until 2027, but the Rams have a potential out in 2026, so Los Angeles could retain the 35-year-old quarterback for three more years.
But the veteran suffered a neck injury that has put his status in 2023 up in the air, which likely would make a team hesitant to trade for Stafford.
The Rams have backed their quarterback, so the truth of this claim also is up in the air. But if Stafford truly is on the market, he would be an interesting name for teams that miss out on Jackson or Rodgers.
The free agent quarterback class isn’t a strong one with Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield as the top names. The latter could return to Los Angeles as he made a solid impression when he arrived to the team late in the season, and there would be less or a learning curve in Sean McVay’s system.
No matter what happens, the 2023 NFL offseason could be one to remember if the top quarterbacks end up switching teams.
