Giants' QB Target Matthew Stafford Will Return to Rams

The New York Giants' pursuit of Matthew Stafford is over before it truly began.

Oct 17, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws against the New York Giants in the 1st half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Matthew Stafford will wear blue next season but it won't be the New York Giants' hues.

The Los Angeles Rams announced on Friday that Stafford would return as their starting quarterback for the 2025-26 campaign, with ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealing that the two sides were "in agreement on a restructured deal."

Thus ends the Giants' rumored chase of Stafford before it truly began, as the 37-year-old will return for a fifth season with a horned helmet.

Los Angeles has gone to the playoffs in three of his first four seasons, which includes a Super Bowl championship run after trading Jared Goff to Stafford's former employers in Detroit in 2021-22.

Stafford guided the Rams to the NFC West division title last season, winning nine of the last dozen after a 1-4 start, and notably passed Eli Manning on the NFL's all-time passing yardage list to move into the top ten.

One coast's gain is another's loss: the Giants are back to square one when it comes to their latest franchise quarterback search, one that is admittedly relieved of the burden of trading a king's ransom for a 37-year-old that has missed at least one game due to injury in each of the last three seasons and four of the past six.

All three quarterbacks still stationed on the Giants' roster (Tim Boyle, Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock) are set to become free agents but it shouldn't be hard to retain DeVito on his exclusive rights status.

Speculation will likely immediately turn back to not only the Giants' spot in the third slot on the NFL Draft board but also toward MetLife Stadium alum and Stafford's fellow former NFC North thrower Aaron Rodgers, who is searching for a new home after two fruitless seasons with the New York Giants.

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