Matthew Stafford's ideal destination emerges thanks to would-be No. 1 wideout

The Los Angeles Rams came up a hair short in the NFC Divisional Round against the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, questions are starting to swirl around the future of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

While there have been no official trade rumors involving the 36-year-old former champ, the Rams are expected to offload Cooper Kupp in the coming months. After consecutive 10-win seasons, Los Angeles feels like it's treading water a bit. Sean McVay didn't pass on a broadcasting career to rebuild, but the Rams wouldn't be entirely foolish to start mapping out the future. Kupp is Stafford's favorite target and the main reason for confidence in LA's offense.

Stafford retirement rumblings have been circulating for a while. With Kupp on the outs, Stafford's wife, Kelly, is starting to wonder about a potential relocation.

The Rams aren't beholden to the speculation of Stafford's family, but the veteran is approaching the tail-end of his contract. Los Angeles boasts an old, asset-poor roster, who might benefit from a haul of picks in exchange for its starting quarterback. Several QB-needy teams, meanwhile, are bound to take interest in Stafford.

Among them is the New York Giants, who'd present Stafford with a perfect No. 1 pass-catcher in Malik Nabers. The explosive rookie has been active on social media in recent days, not-so-subtly planting the seeds for a Giants pursuit of Stafford.

Malik Nabers recruits Matthew Stafford to the Giants with blatant social media ploy

This is fascinating on several levels. First, because going from LA to New York is almost a definite downgrade in Super Bowl odds for Stafford. Second, because the Giants own the No. 3 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Shedeur Sanders has been a popular hypothetical target for New York, especially if either Tennessee or Cleveland takes the plunge on Abdul Carter, rather than grasping for a franchise QB.

There's a better than even chance that New York selects either Sanders or Cam Ward on draft night, but that does not necessarily preclude them from going after Stafford. Drafting a quarterback at No. 3 and trading legitimate assets for a veteran signal-caller feels like a misallocation of resources, but neither Sanders nor Ward are day-one starting locks at the next level. Both are flawed talents at the top of a weak quarterback class, which could prompt the Giants to go after more a dependable short-term bridge quarterback.

If the Giants miss out on Sanders and Ward due to the Titans and Browns, who also need franchise QBs, then a Stafford trade becomes much easier to imagine. One can hardly blame Nabers for trying to manifest it. Even at his advanced age, Stafford possesses one of the sharpest minds in the sport. He flies through his progressions and is capable of some special passes, changing arm slots and throwing with feather-soft touch. Stafford would find Nabers in more advantageous positions than Daniel Jones or Tommy Devito ever did, even if he's working behind a makeshift Giants O-line.

This feels improbable for a number of reasons — primarily because Stafford would probably target a more stable ecosystem, such as Las Vegas (LOL, I know) or Pittsburgh — but Nabers is a legitimate No. 1 wideout, and his presence alone might be enough to pique Stafford's interest with the Rams axing Kupp. A lot can change in the span of an offseason, too. Nothing is stopping the Giants from spending aggressively and upgrading this roster enough to earn Stafford's stamp of approval.