The San Francisco 49ers are rumored to be in the hunt for Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. If they don't land him, they probably would prefer not to face the veteran passer at least twice a season.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Stafford may be eyeing the Los Angeles Rams as a potential destination. Understandably, the Rams have been noncommittal with quarterback Jared Goff, and like San Francisco, may look to upgrade the quarterback position.
Fowler adds that the Rams are at least exploring the possibility of trading for Stafford.
Sources: Matthew Stafford considers the Rams a viable contender in his trade market with the Lions. While it's unclear what the Rams can do with Jared Goff's long-term deal on the books, they've explored the possibilities with Stafford.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 29, 2021
Los Angeles could be nearly as appealing for Stafford as San Francisco. As with the 49ers' head coach, Kyle Shanahan, Rams coach Sean McVay is well-respected around the league for his play-calling creativity. Of course, this could also be Los Angeles trying to drive up the price for Stafford, and potentially impacting a division rival.
Stafford and the Lions have mutually agreed to part ways after 12 seasons together. Detroit drafted the quarterback out of Georgia with the No. 1 overall pick in 2009. He completed 339-of-528 attempts (64.2 percent) for 4,084 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions through 16 games this past season.