News broke on Saturday that Detroit Lions quarterback and former Georgia Bulldog Matthew Stafford approached the team and suggested a trade may be beneficial to both parties after a 5-11 season that saw another coaching change.
Lions executives agreed to explore a deal, seemingly ending Stafford’s 12-year stint in Detroit.
Stafford has two-years and $43 million remaining on a five-year $135 million contract that he signed in 2017. Detroit will save $14 million in cap space and $20 million in cash with Stafford off the books.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft ownes virtually all of Detroit’s passing records and is the fastest player to 20,000, 30,000 and 40,000 passing yards in NFL history.
Beyond his acclaimed toughness at the position, starting every game from 2011-2019, Stafford is also one of the most talented throwers in all of football, something that is overshadowed by the losing culture in Detroit.
Just look at Stafford’s career numbers here and keep in mind that over his 12 years in Detroit, he went through four staff changes – Schwartz, Caldwell, Patricia and most recently Campbell.
From 2009 to 2020, Stafford threw for a club record 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns with 144 interceptions with a 62.9% completion percentage, while boasting a career 89.9 quarterback rating, which would be good enough to rank 13th on the all-time list.
The Lions made the playoffs three times during Stafford’s tenure (2011, 2014, 2016) but lost in the Wildcard each year. Before Stafford arrived, Detroit’s last playoff appearance was in 1999.
DawgNation, you should be glad Detroit and Stafford are parting ways. The Lions have absolutely waisted a hall of fame career and instead of having the wherewithal to build a winning culture and give Stafford a quality roster, they accept defeat and agree to look for a trade.
The good part about the situation is there are quality teams that will be searching for a signal caller this offseason. The New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and possibly the New Orleans Saints are just a few of the teams that have a depth of talent and need an experienced guy like Stafford under center.
It’s just sad that Detroit and Stafford could not find a way to breakup sooner. Who knows how many championships the Bulldog great could have under his belt.
In his three-year career at Georgia, Stafford threw for 7,731 yards and 51 touchdowns with 33 interceptions, earning All-America honors in 2008.
