It seems Deshaun Watson won’t have all the spotlight to himself this offseason. In fact, he may lose it entirely presuming he doesn’t officially request a trade from Houston. That attention is going to shift for the next two months towards Detroit. It’s there that Matthew Stafford capped the end of an era in Lions football by requesting a trade according to several sources.
This shouldn’t be considered a huge surprise. Detroit just got done hiring a new GM and coaching staff. They’re staring down yet another rebuild. At 32-years old, that isn’t something Stafford has an interest in being a part of. He’s given 11 seasons to the franchise including eight 4,000-yard seasons and a Pro Bowl. He got them to the playoffs three times and finished with a ridiculous 31 comebacks in the 4th quarter.
The man has every right to be selfish at this stage of his career.
And this from Detroit: pic.twitter.com/M0L46PzCw2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 23, 2021
Speculation has already begun about where he’ll end up. Like Watson, there is bound to be no shortage of suitors for his services. The Indianapolis Colts just lost Philip Rivers to retirement. Their roster is built to win now with a top offensive line. They play in a dome. It’s an easy sell. Washington is another spot. They just hired Martin Mayhew as GM. He’s the one who drafted Stafford all the way back in 2009.
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San Francisco has a top offensive mind in Kyle Shanahan and a need at quarterback too. Then of course there is always the New England Patriots, desperately searching for their Tom Brady replacement. One can imagine Stafford will have some say in where he ends up going. Still, the questions are already being asked.
Can the Bears somehow swipe Matthew Stafford?
It isn’t wise to say no to such a question. Quarterbacks being traded to division rivals has happened before in the NFL. See Donovan McNabb to Washington and Drew Bledsoe to Buffalo. It can happen if the price is right and the trading team feels they have their solution at QB in hand. As of now though? It’s hard to imagine Detroit considering that deal.
They have plenty of suitors to choose from. So unless GM Ryan Pace blows them away with an offer, Stafford will be playing outside the NFC North next season. That doesn’t mean Pace shouldn’t at least try. One can never know until asking the question. He might be surprised by the answer he gets. Initial projections are Stafford could cost anywhere from a 1st and a 2nd to two 1st rounder and some additional picks.
It isn’t likely. That said, it doesn’t mean the Bears won’t be affected.
Matthew Stafford leaving Detroit will instantly make that team less of a threat in 2021. That should be two victories on Chicago’s schedule next year. Also, him going to a new team will decrease the market for guys like Watson and maybe Dak Prescott. Every bit of help the Bears can get in those pursuits is a good thing.
Then there is the draft matter. Stafford leaving almost guarantees Detroit will be in play at the 7th overall pick for a top rookie quarterback. This means if Pace and Matt Nagy want somebody, they’ll have to get into the top 6 to get them. Suffice to say it’s going to be a wild offseason.