Nov 23, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports.
A quarterback trade for the Minnesota Vikings is severely unlikely, but that didn’t stop fans from spitballing after the purple team suffered its first loss of 2024 on Sunday.
The object of some’s desire? Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.
It started with ProFootballTalk.com slightly over a week ago, and naturally, following Minnesota’s 31-29 defeat at home versus the Detroit Lions, a handful of fans side-eyed the theory more intently. Postgame shows on KFAN, for example, were peppered with Stafford mentions, even if the veteran passer isn’t necessarily for sale.
PFT’s Mike Florio explained during the Vikings’ bye week: “If, for example, the Jets provided a blueprint for making Sam Darnold look mortal, the Vikings would be wise (if they lose to the Lions and then to Stafford’s Rams) to at least entertain the possibility of an upgrade. (Coincidentally, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and Stafford worked together for a year in L.A. And they both won a Super Bowl ring for their efforts.)”
It’s worth noting that the Rams are 2-4, going nowhere fast, and the Vikings play Stafford’s Rams in three days.
Florio mentioned an injury angle, too. “It’s more likely that the destination will be driven by injury. We’ve got four more weekends of football before the window closes. One season-ending injury is all it takes for Stafford to have a new home. And for the Rams to get a nice return,” he wrote. “In 2011, the Bengals and quarterback Carson Palmer were at impasse. Two days before the trade deadline, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell suffered a broken collarbone. That sparked a Palmer trade to Oakland.”
If there is any merit whatsoever to Stafford and a Vikings trade, injury would be the only path. Minnesota’s coaching staff loves Darnold and would not throw in the towel after a single loss.
Darnold ranks 10th per EPA+CPOE among all qualifying quarterbacks, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. Stafford ranks 26th through seven weeks. Unless everything changed for Stafford in purple, he’d noticeably represent a downgrade, at least per 2024 performance to date.
Meanwhile, Minnesota doesn’t have much trade capital to acquire game-changing quarterbacks, making Stafford-to-Minnesota ideas even more far-fetched. As of now, the Vikings have no 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 7th-Round picks in 2025. And they won’t trade a 1st-Rounder for Stafford, who will be 37 in four months.
Darnold will be fine, and although Stafford to Minnesota is neat in theory, that discussion would only become applicable if Darnold encountered a gruesome injury.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.