The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to be aggressive in the 2025 offseason, as they have plenty of needs to fill. While ownership has said that it wants to bring back one of the two starting quarterbacks from 2024, it may be an easy decision to let them both walk if the team can bring in someone like Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams. At very least, it doesn't hurt to give the Rams a call to see what the asking price is. General Manager Omar Khan is known for at least trying to go big-game hunting, so he could take his shot.
Since the quarterback is the most important position in the game, executing a deal is much easier said than done. The position alone raises the price tag, especially for a quality player like Stafford. Of course, there are still other factors that play a role in a potential deal, like age, money, progression/regression, etc.
It doesn't help that Deshaun Watson completely reset the market in terms of money and draft compensation. Despite missing an entire season and being investigated for dozens of allegations, the Cleveland Browns gave up three first-round picks, among other picks, and gave him a fully guaranteed five-year contract.
Luckily, not every team is as clinically insane as the Browns, and Stafford is much older than Watson was. The New York Jets were in this position in the 2023 offseason. They had their eyes set on Aaron Rodgers, but the process of acquiring him was difficult. Rodgers even wanted to move to East Rutherford to play football, but that didn't make negotiations any easier.
Eventually, a trade was agreed to with the Green Bay Packers. They swapped first round picks -- in that case, the Packers moved up from pick 15 to pick 13 -- along with a second-round pick, a sixth-round pick, and a future conditional second-rounder that would upgrade to a first depending on snap count.
Khan is no stranger to using conditional picks in deals. He even did it once for a quarterback, but he has never done anything with conditions on it to that magnitude. Either way, if he wants Stafford, he could take a look at how the Jets acquired Rodgers and do something similar, even if he doesn't want to give up that many picks.
The Rams' first-round pick is slated at 26, while the Steelers' is at 21. Ironically, a supposed swap here would be worth close to what moving up from 15 to 13 like the Packers did, with Los Angeles gaining "100 points" in value. If they were to go off of the Rodgers trade, that would be step one complete.
However, two second-rounders and a late-round choice may be a little too much in this scenario. Pittsburgh could go the Jets' route of offering a future conditional pick between a first and a second, or even a second and a third. The condition could be anything: stats, snap count, potential extension/contract re-work, or something else.
Proposed Steelers / Rams Trade
In this scenario, the Steelers would receive Stafford, pick 26, and a 2026 fifth-round pick. The Rams would receive pick 21, a conditional 2026 second-rounder, and a 2026 sixth. Considering recent trends, the condition would be if Stafford plays at least 51% of the snaps for the Steelers in 2025. If he does, the pick would become another first rounder.
Khan also usually tries to get an upgrade for a day 3 choice whenever he makes a deal in general. In fact, the Steelers' previous trade with the Rams was all draft pick swaps in exchange for Kevin Dotson. Pittsburgh got a fourth and a fifth while giving up a fifth and a sixth.
