Why Matthew Stafford, Rams going their separate ways doesn't make sense

INDIANAPOLIS — Let's talk about the strangest standoff I can remember in quite some time covering the league.

NFL Scouting Combine week is winding down from a media perspective, which is always an ironic transition. The reporters that flock here to network and glean information typically begin bailing out of town on Thursday and Friday, which is the exact time the on-field workouts that are the reason for the event — on paper, anyway — get started at Lucas Oil Stadium.

There'll be time to worry about the incoming draft class later. Because in the conference rooms, coffee shops and bars of Indianapolis, there's interest in only one name: Matthew Stafford.

The veteran quarterback has become the biggest figure in the NFL this week, as the Rams have granted him permission to speak with other teams about his market and what his services might be worth. That, in turn, has set off a storm of speculation about who might be willing to not just pay Stafford a hefty new contract, but trade serious capital to acquire him from Los Angeles.

It's all very intriguing, as trade speculation tends to be. It's also downright confusing, because for the life of me I can't figure out how it makes sense.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised Stafford has become the first and most impactful domino waiting to fall in this 2025 offseason. He told me himself during Super Bowl week that he had decided to play this upcoming season, and he even acknowledged that he wasn't certain where he'd suit up. Those are the realities of turning 37 earlier this month and having a 2025 salary cap hit of roughly $49.7 million on the books.

Still, as recently as last week, it felt impossible that something wouldn't get done to keep Stafford in L.A. Starting quarterbacks