Getty James Ihedigbo playing the Lions with the Packers in 2014.
The Detroit Lions watched their former quarterback Matthew Stafford keep winning over the weekend, advancing to the Super Bowl. While some are happy for Stafford, others are looking for narratives outside the quarterback’s own personal success.
Naturally, some are using the fast advancement of Stafford to push the narrative that the Lions should be looking at this as a moment of reflection for their franchise. A former player is fanning a bit of those flames himself by making a post that insinuates the Ford family should finally pull the plug.
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Former safety James Ihedigbo, who played with the team from 2014-2016, took to Twitter in the aftermath of Stafford’s big win to not only celebrate his former teammate but get a dig in at his former franchise. As he wrote, he wonders if the immediate Stafford success outside the home will finally force the hand of the Fords to sell the team.
Mathew Stafford is going to the Super Bowl in his first year in LA. Is it safe to say the lions should sell their organization.
“Mathew Stafford is going to the Super Bowl in his first year in LA. Is it safe to say the Lions should sell their organization,” Ihedigbo tweeted after the NFC Championship game.
The tweet had plenty of likes and re-tweets amongst legions of frustrated fans, and it proves how angry Detroit continues to be at the owners of their NFL franchise for all of the transgressions they perceive through the years. Seeing Stafford succeed is a final straw for a lot of people, perhaps Ihedigbo included.
While with the Lions, Ihedigbo put up 86 tackles, 3 sacks and 5 interceptions, playing a key role for the team’s defense over that span. Obviously, he is wondering if the problem comes from the top and not with the players on the roster.
Many Lions Teammates Still Celebrating for Stafford
After the game, a 20-17 escape for the Rams, multiple current and former Lions players hopped on Twitter to show Stafford the love for what he had done. As defensive lineman Nick Williams tweeted, he wants to see Stafford go out and win himself a ring now that he is going to the Super Bowl.
Happy For 9️⃣. Go get you ☝🏾 brother.
Linebacker Romeo Okwara was also very happy with Stafford, tweeting that what he has done has been incredible throughout this postseason run.
Soo happy for Stafford!!! Incredible 😩
Both players played with Stafford during a few of his final years in the Motor City. It’s clear that most of Stafford’s former teammates are well in his corner as he broke through and made the Super Bowl, and that is going to continue if he is able to keep the winning going.
Why Ford Family Unlikely to Sell Lions
Ever since her husband William Clay Ford passed away in 2014, Martha Ford was the primary owner of the Lions. The team has been in the family since 1963, and most fans would admit that through the years, there hasn’t been a ton of good that has played out while the Fords have been primary owners. The Lions have just one playoff win in that span, and famously haven’t won a division title since 1994. Misery has been the most common emotion associated with the Lions during the family’s tenure as owners.
Since taking over from her husband, however, the elder Ford did show more of a propensity to shake things up rather let things sit and get stale. She hired Quinn from outside the organization a few years back. She also allowed the team to be aggressive in their pursuit of Matt Patricia. She allowed the team to spend to lure free agents to town and keep their own stars. Mr. Ford was more inclined to sit back and let his trusted associates run the show however they saw fit for however long.
After passing the team down to Sheila Ford Hamp, her daughter, the Lions look to have someone in charge who cares about improving things. So far, Ford Hamp has hit all the right notes as owner, and looks to be trying hard to change the long-standing narrative about the team.
For Ihedigbo and others, it’s not wise to believe the Lions will sell, or take Stafford’s success as any kind of hint about what is happening with their own team. The Fords are likely to keep the Lions in the family, as it’s been their family business historically.
Stafford’s run isn’t likely to change much about that fact at all.
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