LA Rams could pivot to $180,000,000 QB as plan B after Matthew Stafford's potential exit, hints NFL insider
The Los Angeles Rams made a massive step toward their 2025 roster on Saturday, as they allowed Matthew Stafford and his agent to begin talking to other teams to find a potential trade partner.
On The Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero discussed what the Los Angeles Rams can do at quarterback if they decide to trade Matthew Stafford.
"The most inexpensive option that's not yet available when we haven't mentioned, would be Kirk Cousins, who's got a foundation in that offense, knows Sean McVay, if the Falcons eventually release him, which, to this point, they've indicated they will not.
"I don't know that having Kirk Cousins making $27.5 million next year is backup to Michael Penix Jr, and having him breathing over his shoulder all the time, is necessarily going to be a situation the Falcons want to embrace."
Pelissero continued how it only makes sense if the Atlanta Falcons cut Kirk Cousins, who's signed to a four-year, $180 million contract, as the Rams would be able to sign him for the NFL minimum and use the difference in money to bolster the roster. Pelissero said:
"That would be a situation where you (the Rams) would potentially get him (Kirk Cousins) for the minimum, and you could spend all that additional money that, let's say it's $40 million for Matthew Stafford, you could spend the other $39 million on other players to try to bolster a really talented young Rams team."
Below is the full clip:
This will be interesting, as the news that came on Saturday wasn't a trade request, but something that was expected to happen.
Who could the Los Angeles Rams quarterback be in 2025?
If the Atlanta Falcons don't release Kirk Cousins, there are options the Los Angeles Rams could go. They could acquire a quarterback in a deal with Matthew Stafford (like how he joined the Rams) or sign a veteran like Aaron Rodgers.
Getting a veteran bridge quarterback and still competing while looking to build on their younger core is something Rams general manager Les Snead needs to do to keep the team moving in the right direction. Getting picks and avoiding massive cap issues will be critical to be successful.