The LA Rams turned many heads when they began their offseason looking to trade their aging star Cooper Kupp. But the anxious whispers weren’t all for the WR. Instead, the fans thought of another aging star currently repping royal blue and sol– Matthew Stafford. The Rams are not a team that beats around the bush, but HC Sean McVay and GM Les Snead’s silence wasn’t helping. Despite McVay stating that the QB was their “Priority,” their permission to his agent to contact around other teams and gauge his market value only added to the growing tension–

Would the Rams fans want a “QB of the future” or the veteran who has taken LA to three playoff appearances in four seasons with a Super Bowl title? Two months down the line, Stafford finally put pen to the paper on a restructured two-year contract for $84 million ($44M guaranteed in 2025). But if that deal hadn’t come around, it looks like LA was ready for another QB making a buzz through the off-season – Aaron Rodgers. And the Rams’ head coach straight-up acknowledged it.

Recently, McVay sat down with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football’s host, Kyle Brandt, to talk about QB decisions in the offseason. When Brandt asked, “What went down in the offseason? What was true and not true about Rodgers and the Rams?” McVay responded honestly, “I think our first priority, which was consistently communicated was, ‘Let’s work something out with Matthew’, and we were fortunate that it worked out that way. If that wasn’t able to occur, then that was definitely a conversation and a possibility for us.

“I have a ton of respect for the body of work, and I’ve gotten to know Aaron and really enjoy the conversations and just the approach, the way that he thinks about the game and in life. So, that was a possibility, but our first priority was always to be able to get Matthew back and what I did feel very fortunate about was that I think we’re closer than ever. And I think sometimes when you’re able to have real conversations and I think you can appreciate the love that’s been built up but also the ability to be honest with one another. I’m really glad that (Aaron Rodgers’ deal) worked out. I know that there’s a lot of people in Pittsburgh that are really excited that that’s finally come to fruition and you know, I’m a big fan of his.” 

During the NFL Scouting Combine, the noise grew louder, with the Raiders, Giants, and Steelers constantly knocking on the Rams’ door for their quarterback. However, the 37-year-old quarterback decided to stay with his team, where he spent four seasons and helped them win a Super Bowl. On the flip side, Rodgers has been the hottest name in this year’s free agency.

After parting ways with his former team, the four-time MVP was looking for a new home. Rodgers flirted with several teams—prioritizing the Vikings—but eventually settled in Pittsburgh just a week ago. And now, McVay has made it clear that the Rams are happy with their decision to retain Stafford as they gear up for their 2025 campaign. Having said that, it’s safe to say that the 37-year-old Rams QB chose to stay with his team rather than play for the Steelers or any other franchise.

The Steelers showed interest, but Matthew Stafford didn’t reciprocate

It took Mike Tomlin and Co. almost three months, but they eventually signed a one-year deal with Aaron Rodgers. After parting ways with the Jets, the four-time MVP visited the Steelers’ facility in March, but there was no official confirmation on a potential deal, just rumors, debates, and verbal agreements—until now. Rodgers arrived in Pittsburgh on a $13.65 million deal, including $10 million guaranteed. But things took an interesting turn when reports revealed that Rodgers was actually their third choice.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Steelers wanted a trade for Matthew Stafford. During his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Breer noted that the Steelers had checked on Stafford’s status earlier in the offseason.

“They [Steelers] did throw their hat in the ring for Matthew Stafford. They were like, you know, pretty much everybody else…that the Giants and Raiders were sort of in this category too, where it was like, ‘Do we really think that he’s going to leave Los Angeles? Do we really think that he’s going to leave Sean McVay? No.

“So you know, like they [Steelers] did check back. They did touch base with the Rams about potentially trading for Matthew Stafford, but they never really believed that was going to happen.” Clearly, Stafford never really looked like he was leaving, and of course, Sean McVay wasn’t about to give up on his valuable asset. As for Mike Tomlin, turns out he had Justin Fields in mind as well before dialing Rodgers’ number. Nevertheless, things turned around for all the QBs, landing in the spots they were targeting.