For the last few weeks, there has been a hurricane of trade rumors involving Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, and unsurprisingly, the Minnesota Vikings have gotten caught up in the storm.
Given the connection that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell (former Rams offensive coordinator) has to Stafford combined with the expectation that Sam Darnold will sign elsewhere this offseason, Minnesota seems like a good fit for the veteran Los Angeles quarterback.
Which is probably why one of Stafford’s former teammates when he was with the Detroit Lions, Chase Daniel, mentioned the Vikings as a possible fit for the Rams signal-caller during Monday’s episode of FS1’s “The Facility”.
“In [Stafford’s] entire career, he’s never ever played on an outdoor team. Lions and Rams, both indoor teams. I think he needs to go to another indoor team, and who is the other indoor team out there?
The Minnesota Vikings.
Kevin O’Connell was his offensive coordinator during the year that the Rams won the Super Bowl. So, I would not put it past Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings [to land Stafford]. One of the best receivers if not the best receiver in the game, Justin Jefferson, is there. I would not put it past them.
…I think it’s going to come down to a two-team race for Stafford. I think it’s the Vikings and I think it’s the Rams.
Minnesota Vikings not mentioned as an interested team in recent report about Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford
Despite Daniel’s feelings about Minnesota being one of two possible landing spots for Stafford this year, a recent report seems to suggest otherwise.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Monday, the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Las Vegas Raiders have all expressed interest in trading for Stafford in the last few weeks. The Vikings were not mentioned as a team that has shown any interest in acquiring the former No. 1 overall draft pick.
This could be a sign that Minnesota has already moved on to focusing on J.J. McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback for next season (since it seems like Darnold probably won’t be returning), or the Vikings are keeping things very quiet about having even the slightest interest in acquiring Stafford.
The thing about Stafford, however, is that whether he ends up staying with the Rams or playing for another team in 2025, he’s going to want a new deal that pays him more money. After just moving on from Kirk Cousins last year, is that the type of situation Minnesota really wants to dive back into, or would they rather attempt to take advantage of McCarthy’s cheap rookie contract as much as they can?
