Picture this: It’s early 2025, and Matthew Stafford is a hot commodity in the NFL offseason. Teams like the Giants and Raiders are reportedly eyeing him, with whispers of two-year, $90 million deals floating in the air. Analysts are debating his future, with some suggesting the Rams might be looking to move on. It’s a classic case of “Is he staying or going?” that has fans and pundits alike on edge. But then, just when the speculation reaches a fever pitch, the Rams and Stafford agree to a contract restructure. The signal caller, now 37, is back in LA for the 2025 season. Coach Sean McVay even admitted he’s “been sleeping better” knowing the deal is done. But how long is that good night’s sleep going to last?

While the move has surely brought some stability in the Rams’ QB room, concerns are still rampant. So, as expected, with the NFL draft here, the quarterback position has reportedly become a hot topic within the team. And beyond. Because let’s be real, Stafford is not your long-term option, considering he might be heading toward the twilight of his career. And that means only one thing: The Rams could draft a quarterback. And that’s where ESPN’s Dan Graziano comes into the picture.

Earlier this week, the NFL insider predicted, “Teams are keeping an eye on the Rams at No. 26 and might want to navigate in front of them. Los Angeles could quietly be in the market for one of the young QBs because Matthew Stafford, 37, is clearly on a year-to-year program at this point.” Notably, ever since McVay took the reins back in 2017, the Rams have drafted just one quarterback till date: Georgia Bulldogs QB Stetson Bennett in the fourth round in 2023. The rest of the movements have either come through free agency or potential trades—the most notable being the 2016 first overall pick, Jared Goff, being sent to the Lions in exchange for Stafford back in 2021.

Sure, they won the Super Bowl the very same year. But fast forward to now, and a QB-draft scenario seems almost real. Yet the former NFL quarterback-turned-analyst, Dan Orlovsky, believes, “Legit Super Bowl contenders don’t, in the first round, take quarterbacks.” And then there was the front office who took it up a notch by almost confirming their decision.

During last month’s NFL Annual Meeting, GM Les Snead remarked, “We’re very well aware that there is a life after Matthew coming at some point. When that is — it could be two, three years from now, so it’s not urgent for us.” And even the team’s HC doubled down on the sentiment when asked if the Rams would consider using their first-round pick on a quarterback: “I think that’s unlikely. That’s not something that I would see us doing, but maybe not, huh?”

Well, at this point we can only hope that the Rams don’t pull off a Kirk Cousins-Michael Penix Jr or Aaron Rodgers-Jordan Love like situation. And if they do…

Who’s going to be a potential replacement for Matthew Stafford?

Unlike last year, this year’s class doesn’t have that many QB prospects. Folks out there believe that Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders would be the only two QBs the teams would want to pick. But let’s not sugarcoat this—the Titans are almost certain to use their No. 1 draft pick on Ward. And Sanders? Well, despite a sudden dip in his draft stocks, he’s projected to be picked as early as in Top-5 (either by the Browns or the Giants), or as late as 21 by the Steelers.

That’s where it gets pretty tricky for the Rams. Why? Well, if they’re looking to draft Sanders or Ward, it’s not going to happen. However, the rumor mill is buzzing that Stafford’s team could draft the Ole Miss QB, Jaxson Dart, a dual-threat prospect, who is entering the NFL draft after the best season of his career at Ole Miss.

Besides, they’re also scouting Jalen Milroe or Kyle McCord, whom they could pick later. Here’s the strategy: By scouting Milroe and McCord, the Rams are doing their homework, just in case these prospects become available. To make it more obvious, Sean McVay even stated that he would have a conversation with Stafford if they intend to draft a QB.

“You want to be as inclusive as you can, especially to players who are in his position,” McVay said. “That would be something that we would do, just like we did when we drafted Stetson a couple of years ago.” Well, the way things are shaping up, it’s certain that the LA Rams are going to draft a QB. A move that Stafford is not averse to, either.

“If a quarterback comes along and they feel the need to take them, I’ll welcome them with open arms and try to teach them as much as I possibly can,” he said. The suspense is at an all-time high. What do you think will happen?