5 Caveats of a Would-Be Matthew Stafford Trade for Vikings
Because of ProFootballTalk.com, some believe a Matthew Stafford trade to the Minnesota Vikings is realistic.
5 Caveats of a Would-Be Matthew Stafford Trade for Vikings
PFT’s Mike Florio initially explained the hypothesis here.
The NFL’s trade deadline is Election Day — so less than two weeks away. And with folks’ interest in Stafford to Vikings at an all-time high, at least, theoretically, these are the five hurdles to the would-be deal. They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top hurdle).
5. The Vikings Love Sam Darnold
Foremost, the Vikings’ coaching staff does not have grievances with Sam Darnold. Fans might be a bit low because Darnold’s performance in the last three games has dipped, but that opinion is not shared by the team. In fact, the team believes in Darnold.
Darnold has encountered tricky defenses in the last three games courtesy of the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions. He was supposed to struggle against those mighty defenses. That’s how it goes.
On the whole, Minnesota isn’t chomping at the bit for a Darnold replacement.
4. The J.J. McCarthy Angle
Stafford has two years beyond 2024 left on his current contract. And the cap hits for 2025 and 2026 aren’t tiny. Adding him to the Vikings’ depth chart would put rookie passer J.J. McCarthy on track for a 2026 or 2027 debut.
Like Darnold, the Vikings love McCarthy and don’t really need a “bridge quarterback” in Stafford, who is headed to the Hall of Fame when his career ends. Darnold is perfect for the assignment; Stafford is not.
A Stafford trade would essentially put McCarthy on the back burner.
3. The Trade Capital Problem
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has no 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, or 7th-Round picks available for trade right now in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’d have to dip into the 2026 basket to acquire Stafford. Sans a major Darnold injury in the next two games, the Vikings may not want to sell more draft capital for old players.
This one is as clear as day: the Vikings don’t have much trade capital to trade for anybody, especially players of Stafford’s caliber.
2. The Realism, in General
Stafford-to-Vikings is a theory. It is not a palpable item reported by notable sources with realism. Darnold is healthy, and trading for Stafford is merely a whimsical “the Vikings should do this” piece of rumor and fodder.
Unfortunately, the rumor has gained legs to suggest that it “might be” real. It’s just not a substantiated thing.
1. The Money
The Rams would have to eat $68 million in dead cap if they traded Stafford. That isn’t minuscule.
Then, Minnesota would be forced to wiggle Stafford’s contract remainder into its budget, which would involve restructuring other players’ contracts. From both angles, the money flatly doesn’t make sense. At all.
Vikings Sign New Defender
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 MIN 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.