Rams fans will want to ignore this topic until a decision is actually made, but the Pittsburgh Steelers now appear to have a shot at a Matthew Stafford trade.
Monday morning, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer mentioned the Steelers as one of the teams who have thrown their hat into the ring for Stafford. The Rams recently gave Stafford's agent permission to speak with other teams in order to figure out his potential market and annual value, and so far, there are multiple teams interested with Pittsburgh being one of them.
So, we know the Steelers are interested.
But, what would it take for Pittsburgh to land the veteran quarterback?
The Steelers could simply give the Rams exactly what they'd want in a Matthew Stafford trade
Let's kick this off with giving the Rams precisely what the rumored asking price is, currently, and that's a first-round pick.
In this deal, the Steelers sacrifice their first-round pick coming in at no. 21. Now, if there are other teams such as the Browns, Giants, Raiders or even the Jets who want to offer their 2025 first-round selection, then the Steelers will have to improve their offer by a mile.
But, this is a starting point.
The Steelers could spice up a Matthew Stafford trade offer by including a pick swap
If just the first-round selection wasn't enough for the Rams and Pittsburgh needed to up their bid just a tad, something along the lines of a third-round pick swap might do the trick.
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This isn't much of a step up from the first idea, but Los Angeles does move up seven spots in the third round.
Now, on to a more interesting plot twist.
Could the Steelers include George Pickens in a Matthew Stafford trade?
Many Steelers fans would love to see the team move on from George Pickens if it meant they had a plan to address the wide receiver position going forward, and this could be a creative way to make it happen.
By no means am I a salary cap expert, but with the increased cap number this coming season and the Steelers having $60 million to work with, there should be a way to pay both Stafford and Kupp by converting some of the contracts into bonuses.
This not only gives the Steelers their quarterback, but they bring his top receiver with him to Pittsburgh. There's already a connection. The chemistry is built. There's no need to establish it.
Would the Rams want more for both players? Who knows. But, the Steelers make this move in order to win right now. While, the Rams make this move for the future.