Don't you just love the NFL offseason? We couldn't even make it past the Super Bowl before trade rumors started swirling. On February 3, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Browns, while Rams former Pro Bowl wide receiver Cooper Kupp was informed that the Rams are looking to trade him. Now the Pittsburgh Steelers could get in on the action.
We know Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II. Though many fans have suggested it's time to tear this team down to the studs and rebuild, that's simply not the way the Steelers have ever operated. But that may not prevent them from giving it one last-ditch effort to open a Super Bowl window.
The Steelers were centered around trade rumors involving Kupp before the 2024 deadline, but the Rams didn't want to move on from their starting receiver and nothing surfaced. Even now trading for Kupp seems like a futile effort for a team that doesn't even know who their quarterback will be this season.
But what if the Steelers found a way to make a blockbuster trade for Kupp that also included LA's starting quarterback?
Steelers should offer trade package for Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp
As Cooper Kupp announced the team is looking to trade him this offseason, the subtle Matthew Stafford report is getting overlooked. Sports Illustrated Insider Albert Breer believes Stafford's time with the Rams could be coming to an end, as the team looks to turn the next chapter on their franchise.
This would seem to align with the general plan now that Kupp is on the trade block. The Rams have a young core on defense and an offense that is aging out. At 37 years old, Stafford doesn't offer the same appeal he once did, and it's safe to assume a 32-year-old Kupp isn't getting any better at this stage of his career.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers need both a quarterback and a starting wide receiver on their offense. A trade for both Stafford and Kupp could be the cherry on top that could finally breathe life into the offense and get this stagnant team over the hump.
Admittedly, the ages of Stafford and Kupp raise a red flag. We've seen how quickly quarterbacks (like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins) fizzle out at this stage of their careers, while it's uncertain how much gas Kupp has left in the tank. But when you look at the makeup of the Steelers, age isn't an issue.
The best players on the roster—T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward—are in their 30s, and the time to act is now. Heyward turns 36 years old this offseason and could be playing in his final NFL season, while Watt will turn 31 years old early in the 2025 season.
If the Steelers made a blockbuster trade for Stafford and Kupp, the window would align as the most important players on the team would likely have a two-year window before they either retire or their performance takes a significant step back.
Offering a trade package for both Stafford and Kupp wouldn't come cheap, and there is some finagling both front offices would have to do to get something done. The Rams would take a significant $45 million dead money hit if they decided to trade Stafford before June 1, though his $23 million base salary would be more than affordable for the Steelers.
Kupp, meanwhile, has an enormous 2025 cap number of $29.78 million with a $7.5 million roster bonus coming his way this year, per Over The Cap. On his current contract, the Steelers would likely need some help from the Rams if Kupp was the only player acquired in the trade.
However, trading for both players at once would make sense for both teams. The Steelers would be getting a discount contract with Stafford but would absorb an abnormally large cap hit with Kupp. These would essentially cancel each other out to make it a trade that is fair for both parties.
In exchange for Stafford and Kupp, the Steelers would need to send the Rams a package of draft capital, though it's hard to tell exactly what that would entail.
Either way, the Steelers need a quarterback and a receiver. Trading for both Stafford and Kupp would create a two-year window for Pittsburgh that would give Heyward and Watt one final push for postseason success. At this point, what have they got to lose?