Since winning the Super Bowl in 2021, Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams have endured one of the worst Super Bowl hangover seasons in history, then rebuilt to become one of the best teams in football once again.
Instead of disregarding picks as they did previously, the Rams have been the best team in football at finding draft-day stars. One of the best wide receivers in the league, Puka Nacua, was found in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. They even traded their first-round pick last season to the Atlanta Falcons for their first-rounder in the upcoming 2026 draft, which currently sits at 10th overall as the Rams sit at 10-3 atop the NFC.
And you know what?
Like they did to win their first Super Bowl, regardless of how this year’s campaign ends, the Rams should go all-in again and acquire a disengaged, melancholy Joe Burrow from the Cincinnati Bengals.
Matthew Stafford, 37, is having one of the best years of his career and is the frontrunner for MVP, but nagging back issues don’t go away overnight, and the 2021 champion had retirement rumors buzzing around him all last season.
If Stafford retires or wants to continue playing, there will be no shortage of suitors wanting Stafford on their team. The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders reportedly offered more money to Stafford to play with them in the offseason, but the veteran decided to stay in L.A. for a chance at a second right and a future spot in the Hall of Fame.
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While a cutthroat decision, it would be similar to when McVay and general manager Les Snead traded homegrown quarterback Jared Goff after he led the Rams to a playoff victory with a broken thumb. They made the move to make sure they would be contenders for the next half-decade, and that’s what they did by acquiring Stafford.
A move to get Burrow, who just turned 29 this past week, would align his future with the other young stars on the Los Angeles Rams: Nacua (24), Jared Verse (29), Kobie Turner (26), and Kyren Williams (25). That core, captained by one of the best coaches in football, would be set as a perennial Super Bowl contender for the foreseeable future. Instead of going into every offseason wondering if Stafford will play again and if he’ll go to another team or if he’ll sit out, you’ll be locked into the best nucleus in football.
So, what’s the trade?
It will be steep for the Rams, but as Burrow has a no-trade clause and is years away from finishing off his massive $275 contract, it has to be.
Rams receive: Joe Burrow
Bengals receive: Atlanta Falcons 2026 first-rounder, Rams 2026 first-rounder, Rams 2027 first-rounder, Rams 2027 third-rounder, Rams 2028 first-rounder.
In total, the Bengals would get four first-rounders in the next three years, including a premium pick in the next draft with the Falcons, and a third-rounder in the 2027 draft. The Rams, who have shown they can hit on grabbing stars in later rounds, will need to continue to do so, but will have their star pieces in place after signing Nacua and Verse to long-term extensions.
Joe Burrow was made to be cast as the star of a Hollywood movie. This possible blockbuster trade would be the beginning.
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