Earlier this week I stated information from a source that said the Chicago Bears were inquiring to the Detroit Lions about Matthew Stafford. This despite the obvious obstacle of them being division rivals. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are committed to upgrading that position and Stafford represents one such possibility.
Confirmation has since arrived courtesy of Albert Breer of the MMQB. While watching the Senior Bowl, he did a Periscope video at halftime to answer fan questions. Stafford was one of the first subjects to come up and he had a lot of info to spill. Expectations are the QB will be dealt before the Super Bowl this coming week. It’ll likely cost a 1st round pick. To his knowledge, seven teams are firmly in the sweepstakes.
The Bears are one of them.
The information thus far has been coming fast. Currently, the favorites to land Stafford are either the San Francisco 49ers or Los Angeles Rams. There’s just one problem. Neither team seems to be offering a package that interests Detroit. The Rams have no 1st round pick and the 49ers are reportedly reluctant to give up their 12th overall selection.
This would explain why Breer isn’t entirely convinced those will be his landing spots, even if the quarterback himself might prefer it. Sources have also said Stafford wouldn’t mind joining Chicago. They have a playoff-ready defense and a coaching staff loaded with quarterback-friendly minds like Nagy and John DeFilippo. He’d also likely have a go-to target in Allen Robinson. It’s not a terrible setup. He has the arm to thrive at Soldier Field.
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It comes down to the obvious question.
Would the Lions deal Matthew Stafford to a division rival?
Trades within the division are always rare. They’re even rarer when quarterbacks are involved. Only two of note have happened dating back to 2002. One was Drew Bledsoe going from New England to Buffalo and the other was Donovan McNabb going from Philadelphia to Washington in 2010. It’s been a decade since any such trade has happened. That should give people an idea of the odds facing the Bears.
That being said, the fact they’re involved says Detroit is at least willing to listen. That is a team facing a considerable rebuild so they need to get the best possible package they can for Stafford. If Chicago is aggressive enough, they may not be able to turn the deal down. Pace is naturally aggressive as a GM and is also desperate with 2021 possibly being his final season.
How high would he be willing to go?
It’s fair to guess the 20th pick is on the table. How many more would it take? There is no way to know for sure but with so many teams involved it isn’t hard to think the price will keep going up. Can the Bears pull off such a stunner? Matthew Stafford would instantly make this team relevant in the NFC. That is beyond arguing. It’s a question of how much of their future they’re willing to mortgage.
