It seemed likely that the defending NFC West champions would lose their starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford. The Los Angeles Rams recently allowed Stafford to explore a trade, allowing him to speak with other teams and assess his market value.
While teams like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders were speculated as potential trade destinations, Stafford is ultimately staying with the Rams. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the two sides have agreed to a restructured deal.
JUST IN: Matthew Stafford and the Rams have agreed to a restructured deal to keep him in Los Angeles, a source tells @DMRussini. pic.twitter.com/tdoMImXApD
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 28, 2025
In 2021, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan showed interest in trading for Stafford, but Sean McVay and the Rams secured the quarterback before the 49ers could make a move.
"I was trying to get involved in it," Shanahan shared with McVay during a July 2021 episode of the Rams head coach's podcast. "Someone who had knowledge of the situation, I remember us talking to (agent Tom) Condon, just everyone, to find out when it was happening."
Shanahan added, "That was frustrating."
Meanwhile, the 49ers are focusing on their own quarterback situation. They plan to sign Brock Purdy to a contract extension and look ahead to competing with the Rams for the division title in 2025. The details of Stafford's new deal could be highly relevant to Purdy's agent.
"So there's no guarantees, but we're going to endeavor to get it done," general manager John Lynch said this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Lynch added, "We're talking. I won't go into the negotiations, like always is our stance. We want Brock to be our quarterback as long as we're here and beyond, and we'll leave it at that."