Guess Who’s the Frontrunner for Matthew Stafford?
The Minnesota Vikings have 22-year-old quarterback J.J. McCarthy ready to lead the franchise in 2025 and beyond.
Guess Who’s the Frontrunner for Matthew Stafford?
Think that would disqualify the franchise from top betting odds involving other quarterbacks’ landings spots? Nope.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports.
The Vikings lead the way, per sportsbooks, to somehow land Matthew Stafford this offseason, as the veteran passer could be available via trade. The Draft Network‘s Jaime Eisner posted Stafford’s next-team odds this week:
Vikings (+300)
Giants (+400)
Raiders (+500)
Colts (+600)
Jets (+800)
Steelers (+900)
Jaguars (10/1)
Cowboys (12/1)
Saints (12/1)
Browns (18/1)
Titans (20/1)
49ers (25/1)
Seahawks (33/1)
Lions (50/1)
How did we get here? Why is Stafford in the trade rumor mill? The short answer is his wife. Kelly Stafford got in front of a microphone two weeks ago and seemed to endorse a Stafford trade out of Los Angeles, irked by Los Angeles’ plans to trade Cooper Kupp this offseason.
“I wasn’t planning on discussing this, but hell, why not? My husband wants to win, he’s not trying to put a team in a bad situation, if you’re catching my drift … you’re catching my drift. Trading away Cooper, I’m confused. We were one play away from going to the NFC championship, and I think if we go, we win,” Kelly Stafford said on a podcast before the Super Bowl.
Kelly added, “I have to be the dog in the situation. I want the respect that he deserves. I love the city of LA, with that being said, I love an adventure. Right now, if the Rams decided that they wanted to trade him, or Matthew decided he didn’t want to play for the Rams, I’m good. I would move my family. Yeah, that might be tough. First month, hard. After that, turns out, I like my kids to learn how to be resilient.”
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Those comments singlehandedly sparked Stafford-themed trade rumors, and because the Vikings employ Kevin O’Connell as their head coach, Minnesota became a popular theoretical destination. Stafford and O’Connell worked together in Los Angeles four years ago — when the pair won a Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, in an article outlining Stafford trade packages, CBS Sports explained last week that the Vikings could hand the Rams their 24th overall pick in exchange for Stafford.
“This is a much more straightforward deal for Stafford, which would land him with the Minnesota Vikings. First off, this truly centers around the Vikings’ desire to retain Sam Darnold (who faltered down the stretch) and confidence in J.J. McCarthy. If they want to improve their quarterback play from Darnold and still believe McCarthy needs more time to develop, Stafford gives the Vikings a high ceiling for at least the next two seasons,” Tyler Sullivan wrote last week.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
“If they think McCarthy is ready to ascend to QB1, however, or decide to stick with Darnold either via the franchise tag or an extension, that blocks this landing spot for Stafford.”
Stafford tossed 20 touchdowns in 2024 and checked in as the league’s 16th-best quarterback per EPA+CPOE.
Most purple debates as of mid-February involve Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy. That discussion is unresolved.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports.
Adding Stafford via trade is a brave new world — where oddsmakers claim Minnesota belongs.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
