It appears the Detroit Lions will be making manor changes at general manager, head coach and now quarterback this offseason as longtime Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford has requested a trade from the team. This news was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
And this from Detroit: pic.twitter.com/M0L46PzCw2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 23, 2021
The trade request wasn’t made out of negative thoughts like the Deshaun Watson situation. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Stafford and Lions have agreed to ‘part ways’. Both sides decided it would be better for both parties to move on without each other
Stafford taken first overall by the Detroit Lions in 2009. He has been the team’s starting quarterback for the past 11 seasons. He holds multiple franchise records including passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins by a quarterback. Stafford was voted in the Pro Bowl in 2014 and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2011.
Despite Stafford being a stable piece at quarterback for years in Detroit they only made the playoffs three times in Stafford’s 11 years with the team. Detroit has gone 0-3 in the playoffs under Stafford and has never won the division. The last time Stafford and the Lions made the playoffs was in 2016.
After hiring new head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes, speculation has started that the team may look to move Stafford and hit the reset button. But now after Stafford and the team has talked it is confirmed that the team will look to move Stafford this offseason and will go in another direction at quarterback.
Stafford will be a great ‘consolation prize’ to whoever doesn’t want to give up the haul of draft picks it would trade for Deshaun Watson. The teams that will be interested in Stafford will be the ones who feel they can compete now, but need a veteran quarterback to top off their talented roster.
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