Matthew Stafford approached the Lions this offseason and requested to be traded, knowing the franchise would be undergoing a complete rebuild under new head coach Dan Campbell. He wanted a fresh start and an opportunity to win a Super Bowl right away, which he got by being dealt to the Rams.
The Lions had other suitors for the veteran quarterback, however. It wasn’t just the Rams in on the sweepstakes. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Panthers came close to a deal with the Lions, but Stafford nixed that deal and made it clear that he wanted to go to the Rams.
After consulting with his family, he made clear that he wanted to go to the Rams and so did his family. Stafford made his voice heard, and the Lions brass listened.
Suddenly, the Panthers — despite offering a prime first-round pick and Teddy Bridgewater — were out.
Rapoport reported that multiple sources told him Stafford “ultimately steered himself to Los Angeles” and caused the Rams to up their offer to include two first-round picks and Jared Goff. The Colts, Broncos and Washington all made strong offers to the Lions, according to Rapoport, but Stafford wanted to play for the Rams.
A source even told Rapoport that Stafford “likely would’ve vetoed any deal that wasn’t to the Rams.”
So while we already knew Stafford was excited to be a part of Sean McVay’s team in L.A., we now know the Rams we’re really the only team he wanted to play for.
