The Los Angeles Rams are entering what is projected to be a busy offseason, and there are rumblings of discontent under center. Not only is Cooper Kupp officially on the trade block, but rumors about quarterback Matthew Stafford being on the move are making the rounds aplenty.
NFL.com reported on Feb. 22 that the Rams had granted permission to Stafford to talk to other teams. But is it wise of them to let go of Stafford? One NFL insider says yes and reveals Los Angeles could save nearly $40 million by trading for Kirk Cousins.
NFL Insider Reveals Los Angeles Rams Could Acquire Kirk Cousins
A slow start to the year paved the way for a strong second half where the Rams charged into the playoffs, where they gave the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, their closest game of the entire postseason.
During the regular season, Stafford was his usual self, tallying 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, his play in the absence of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua wasn’t ideal, leading to a QB+ score of 71.9, good for 22nd in the league.
With the Rams reportedly (exploring) moving on, NFL insider Tom Pelissero revealed that the most inexpensive option for the Rams was Kirk Cousins, who is expected to be on his way out of the Atlanta Falcons after a middling season.
“The most inexpensive option that’s not yet available would be Kirk Cousins, who has got a foundation in that offense, you know, Sean McVay. If the Falcons eventually release him, which to this point they have indicated they will not, they’ve got decisions to make in the coming months.
“I don’t know if having Kirk Cousins making 27.5 million next year as backup to Michael Phenix Jr. and having him breathing over his shoulder all the time is necessarily going to be a situation the Falcons want to embrace, but are the Falcons waiting to try to get a trade?”
Cousins will have a $40 million cap hit in 2025 and a $27.5 million guaranteed salary slated for next season. Another headache for the Falcons is that they would just save $2.5 million on his cap number by trading him before June 1, which could be the reason they are waiting. If Atlanta releases him, though, he could be had for the league minimum, like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson.
“I don’t know why Kirk Cousins, you know, absent the alternative of him really believing they’re just going to keep him as a backup. I don’t know why he would cooperate in a trade and wave his clauses.
“But that would be a situation where you would potentially get him for the minimum, and you could spend all that additional money that, let’s call it, let’s say, it’s 40 million for Matthew Stanford. You can spend the other 39 on other players to try to bolster a really talented young Rams team.”
But for the Rams, replacing Stafford with Cousins doesn’t seem like a long-term solution either. The 36-year-old was ranked below Stafford in PFSN’s QB+ metric and tallied nearly 200 fewer yards than his counterpart. However, if Cousins can regain form and fitness, he could help keep Los Angeles’ offense potent until the next face of the franchise is found.