Giants Called Rams On Matthew Stafford Before 2024 Deadline; Team Eyeing Shedeur Sanders?

One two of the hottest seats in the NFL, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are carrying a quarterback depth chart without any names. While Tommy DeVito is expected to be tendered as an ERFA and retained, the Giants’ pursuit of a starter — and perhaps a backup — will define their offseason.

A recent report suggested the team will be interested in pairing a veteran and a rookie to join DeVito on the 2025 roster, and while this year’s free agent class (particularly if Sam Darnold is taken off the board via the franchise tag) is not especially impressive, Matthew Stafford trade buzz persists. The Giants have been mentioned as a team interested in swinging a deal, and ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes their interest in the talented passer stretches back to before last year’s trade deadline.

The Giants inquired about the Rams quarterback’s availability before that point, per Raanan. The Rams, who started 1-4 as injuries mounted early in the season, also received inquiries on Cooper Kupp. A Giants-Stafford partnership would have been odd at that point, too, considering their sluggish start. But the parties are being closely tied together now due to the latest Rams-Stafford contract issue.

While Kupp is not expected to be part of their 2025 roster, the Rams are believed to want Stafford back. But the QB is eyeing a bigger commitment, seeking to join the ballooning $50MM-per-year club. While Stafford’s talent and performance warrant inclusion, the Rams are not certain to move into that territory for a player going into an age-37 season. Of the QBs on such contracts, none is older than 31.

The Rams are running out of time to find a solution with Stafford, whom they have let speak with other teams for a bit now. Stafford would give the Giants a locked-in starter, and it would stand to reason they would pass on this year’s underwhelming lot of QB prospects and focus on bettering their roster around the 16-year veteran. But the Giants are also still being linked to arms in this class. Some around the league believe Shedeur Sanders is their preferred arm in this year’s class, Raanan adds. The Giants have been tied to the Colorado QB for months and will meet with him on a “30” visit soon. Even though Cam Ward was viewed as New York’s preference in early January, the Miami transfer may not be there at No. 3.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the draft; we don’t know who’s going to be there,” Schoen said at the Combine. “When we get around these kids, they may or may not be fits for us. We’re going to have to address the position somewhere. Even if you get a young quarterback, you’d like to have a vet in the room with them to show them the ropes and how to be a pro. We’re looking at all different avenues.

“We’re going to look at vets. We’re going to look at the draft. We’re going to look at trade candidates. We’re going to look under every rock to find the best prospect for us going into the ’25 season.”

The Giants would have a decent shot to land one of the top two arms in this class. The Titans and Browns have each been linked to trading down — though, teams annually are tied to doing so — while Schoen said (via the LandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi) the Giants are open to moving up or down. Colorado two-way phenom Travis Hunter has been connected to the top spot, while Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter has as well. Those prospects would stand to provide the Titans with better value, but the team also could be readying a move back to recoup assets (perhaps via the QB-needy Raiders) to start GM Mike Borgonzi‘s tenure.

The Giants tried to swing a trade to land Drake Maye last year but passed on the Michael Penix Jr.–J.J. McCarthy–Bo Nix contingent at No. 6. The Patriots passed on a trade offer that included the team’s 2025 first-round pick. The Giants would probably balk at dealing No. 3 for Stafford, but the Rams will certainly ask about that pick, as they are eyeing a first-rounder in a potential swap. The team’s No. 34 choice and more would stand to be in play for Stafford.

John Mara kept Daboll and Schoen after a 3-14 season, but a similar showing in 2025 will almost definitely lead the duo out of town. Even starting the season slowly would likely put jobs in jeopardy. Stafford does not hold a no-trade clause, but like Aaron Rodgers in 2023, it would stand to reason he would need to greenlight his destination since a team will be both giving up notable assets for him and authorizing a big-ticket contract. While the Giants do not match the Rams for roster talent or coaching acumen, being willing to give Stafford a raise makes them a team to monitor. Though the Giants still have Daniel Jones dead money ($22.2MM) on their books, that would be unlikely to impede a Stafford swap due to the power brokers’ hot-seat statuses.

Although it would stand to reason for Stafford to prefer staying in the system he knows, as he has signed four lucrative contracts in a career that dates back to a pre-rookie-scale-era Lions deal, money may be a more critical factor here. That would stand to benefit the Giants and other teams in pursuit.