Why Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams may have given the Chicago Bears an edge in the 2025 NFL Draft

Between 2009 and 2020, as a member of the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford stared down the Bears 20 times, winning 11 of those rumbles. Stafford didn’t own Chicago a la Aaron Rodgers, but his 5,440 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 86.3 passer rating versus the Midway Monsters felt kinda yucky.

So Bears fans are predisposed to dislike the guy.

But today, Stafford might just have redeemed himself in Chicago.

Staying, Staying, Staying Back In Cali

ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF pic.twitter.com/0uaAiGsWTa
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) February 28, 2025

After weeks of rumors, whispers, and innuendo, the Los Angeles Rams and Stafford kissed and made up, with the parties agreeing to a restructured contract that’ll keep the (likely) future Hall of Famer in a Rams uni at least through the 2025 season.

So why should this impact how Bears fans feel about Stafford?

Because Stafford staying in Cali might mean a stud rookie landing in Chicago.

Falling Like Dominoes

Of the nine teams picking ahead of the Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft, three of them badly need a quarterback (New York Giants, New York Jets, Las Vegas), while two would be wise to upgrade (Tennessee, Cleveland).

Before Stafford and the Rams’ front office consummated their deal (or re-deal, we suppose), any of those five teams had a legitimate shot of landing the 16-year veteran. But now that the former Georgia Bulldog is firmly planted in Los Angeles, the chances of either of the Draft’s two top quarterbacks—Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders—making it past the Raiders at six are slim-to-none.

Which could help Chicago. Significantly.

Options Galore

We now know for almost certain that Ward, Sanders, and Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter will chosen before Chicago is on the clock. Some slick math tells us that six players will be off the board before Bears GM Poles has to hand his draft card over to Roger Goodell, which could open up a whole lot of options for the Bears…as well as a whole lot of questions:

Will LSU’s prized offensive lineman Will Campbell slip to Chicago?

Does this open the door for an offensive backfield upgrade courtesy of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty?

Could Chicago be enticed into trading one of their second round picks to a team who’s eyeballing Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart?

Should Poles go best-player-available in round one, or stick with his theoretical plan to fill one of the team’s many needs?

Anything and everything is now on the table, thanks to Bears Nation’s new favorite non-Chicago quarterback.