Both receivers could return Thursday night for the Rams’ game against … the Vikings. And that’s where all the silliness gets even more complicated.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the odds that the Vikings would consider a Stafford trade are actually less than zero.

If the Vikings win on Thursday, it would be more likely that the Rams (who would be 2-5) would trade him. But it could also very well mean that Darnold has played well and restored the Vikings’ faith in him (if the offense breaks out) and/or shows them that Stafford isn’t the answer (if Minnesota wins a low-scoring affair in which he plays poorly).

If the Vikings lose on Thursday, it could reduce the likelihood that the Rams (who would then be 3-4) would trade Stafford, while either: 1) making the Vikings more interested in a trade, or 2) leaving the Vikings realizing that they’re not just a QB other than being a true Super Bowl contender (even if Stafford won a Super Bowl with the Rams three years ago when Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was his offensive coordinator).

The plot is great. The subplots are even better. I think we all know we’re going to watch on Thursday night.