Report: Matthew Stafford nixed trade to Panthers in favor of Rams

Matthew Stafford does not technically have a no-trade clause in his contract, but the Detroit Lions worked with the veteran quarterback to make sure he was happy with where he ended up. If they hadn’t, Stafford would probably be playing for a different team this season.

The Carolina Panthers were on the verge of landing Stafford in late-January, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. They offered Teddy Bridgewater and the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, and there was a belief that they were going to finalize a trade with Detroit. Stafford wasn’t having it, however.

Stafford consulted with his family and made a decision that he wanted to play for the Los Angeles Rams. It was around that same time that Stafford spent time with Sean McVay in Mexico, where the two eventually celebrated the trade together after McVay reportedly got involved and influenced the Rams to up their offer.

L.A. wound up sending two future first-round picks and Jared Goff to Detroit for Stafford. It’s unclear if the Panthers would have upped their offer, but Rapoport notes that several other teams also offered multiple high draft picks. At the end of the day, Stafford only wanted to play for the Rams.

We know of at least one head coach who was crushed that he missed out on Stafford. The general consensus is that Stafford and McVay will be a perfect fit together. Time will tell.