NFL Rumors: Matthew Stafford Stopped Trade to Panthers; Wanted to Go to Rams

The Carolina Panthers wanted Matthew Stafford and nearly had a deal in place to land the franchise quarterback management had coveted.

One problem: Stafford had no interest in joining the Panthers.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Stafford went to Detroit Lions management and nixed a deal to Carolina, instead informing team management he wanted to join the Rams. 

The Panthers were set to send Teddy Bridgewater and a first-round pick to Detroit. The Lions, who worked in concert with Stafford after he made his trade request, instead took a package that included two first-round picks and Jared Goff. 

The deal seemingly worked out well for both sides, as the Rams are viewed as preseason Super Bowl contenders while the Lions have a quarterback in Goff who can either step in as an undervalued option or simply play out the string for one of the worst teams in football. Detroit's damage is minimal in any case, whereas the Rams probably need at least a Super Bowl appearance to make the deal worthwhile.

Stafford enters 2021 with outsized expectations for a guy who hasn't made a Pro Bowl since 2014. The popular line of thinking is that playing in Detroit held Stafford back for most of his career, and Sean McVay's offensive scheme could lead to a late-career ascent to stardom. At the very least, Stafford's arm strength and aggression are expected to open parts of the McVay playbook that were kept closed during the Goff era.

With the Rams set to kick of the 2021 season Sunday night against the Chicago Bears on national television, we'll probably get a good idea of how the gamble is playing out.