If the Rams are ultimately shopping Matthew Stafford, there's a chance the 49ers end up facing one of their former employees under center.
The Los Angeles Rams appear to be hitting the reset button.
This week, reports surfaced they were shopping All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline, suggesting head coach Sean McVay and Co. were admitting the 2-4 start to the year was an indication of a lost cause for the season.
But the rumors don't just stop with Kupp. According to multiple speculative reports, including a share from ESPN Los Angeles, the Rams could be dangling veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, the signal-caller who helped them get past the San Francisco 49ers back in January of 2022 en route to a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
🚨TRADE RUMORS HEATING UP🚨
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) October 22, 2024
Ahead of their #TNF matchup at SoFi, could the #RamsHouse send Matthew Stafford to the Vikings?! pic.twitter.com/CH0td5RDLH
Who knows how truthful these rumors and reports are, but they are provocative.
According to the rumor, the 5-1 Minnesota Vikings appear to be the preferred trade partner. Although the Norsemen have been exceptional with a former Niners quarterback under center this season, Sam Darnold, Stafford would easily be an upgrade.
If Minnesota is all-in on trying to win its first Super Bowl, it might be aggressive enough a deal to pull off.
San Francisco already played the Vikings this season, an uneven Week 2 road loss at US Bank Stadium.
However, the trickle-down effects of such a trade would still have an impact on the 49ers, particularly when it comes to looking at a would-be post-trade LA quarterbacking depth chart.
49ers could face Jimmy Garoppolo or Sam Darnold when they play Rams again
Part of the proposal would likely involve shipping Darnold back out to California as part of the deal for Stafford, which indicates the 49ers' 2023 backup to starter Brock Purdy would again have a chance to beat his old employer.
Trades get tricky, though, and there's always the possibility of another team logging onto the rumor mill for Darnold's services (think three-team trades here). Or, just as likely, the Vikings retain Darnold as an experienced backup to the aging, frequently injured Stafford, and Minnesota has already proven it can win with the former under center.
Either way, should a Stafford trade go down, there's an extremely strong chance the Niners square off against one of their former quarterbacks.
The other option, of course, is Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo, who departed San Francisco unceremoniously in 2023, had a failed one-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders before agreeing to be Stafford's backup in LA last offseason.
Since heading to SoCal, Jimmy G has yet to take a regular-season snap with the 49ers' NFC West rivals, but that could all change if the depth chart is shaken up by a Stafford trade.
Especially if Darnold doesn't land in LA as part of the deal.
The 2024 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 5, and the Niners don't play Los Angeles again until Week 15 on Thursday, Dec. 12.
Still, there seems to be a good chance of a notable wrinkle for that particular showdown that'll make the NFC West rivalry a bit more interesting.