According to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue, the Los Angeles Rams are not “protecting” star quarterback Matthew Stafford, while wide receiver Cooper Kupp remains the subject of outside interest ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic also reported on her Scoop City In the podcast, the Rams are “definitely taking calls” about Kupp and that Los Angeles is at least “open” to the idea of ​​parting ways with the 2021 All-Pro.

Russini added that the Rams have “signaled their willingness to take on a portion” of Kupp's 2024 salary and are seeking a second-round pick in exchange for the receiver.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that “many teams looking at receivers have (Kupp) on their roster.”

Regarding their starting quarterback, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Oct. 9 that “the Rams have viewed Stafford's future as an annual challenge,” adding that “neither player nor team seems to know how or when it will end.”

The Rams are in last place in the NFC West at 2-4, thanks in part to the absence of several key players with injuries. As much as LA has defied expectations of making the playoffs in 2023, this is an aging roster that is still dealing with the consequences of general manager Les Snead making a win-now move one after the other.

In this context, it would make sense to become a seller and focus on 2025 and beyond. Getting out of Stafford and/or Kupp's contracts would also open up some salary cap flexibility. Stafford has a cap hit of $53.7 million for 2025 and 2026, while Kupp will face $29.8 million and $27.3 million each of the next two years.

Rodrigue suspected that Snead might ultimately be unwilling to wave the white flag. The Rams are within striking distance of the division's first-place Seattle Seahawks (4-3), and their on-field performance could improve as some of their injured players return.

Los Angeles still has two games left before the deadline. How these play out could solidify the front office's approach heading into November 5th.