Getty Matthew Stafford before a game against the Bears.
There’s been a ton of questions about Matthew Stafford’s future, and while the quarterback still has the rest of the 2020 season to play out, those queries are only going to grow louder in the coming months.
It seems everyone has an opinion to share on what should happen next with Stafford and the Detroit Lions, and that isn’t limited to fans or those in the media. Former players have a take too, and one of the most interesting ones was recently presented by former Detroit tormentor Brett Favre.
Favre, now retired, joined SiriusXM NFL Radio for an interview and was asked what the future should be for Stafford in Detroit. As he explained, he thinks of him as a Matt Ryan type, given how inconsistent they have both been in their career yet just as brilliant at times. As a result, he thinks it could be time for a new start for both parties.
Here’s the quote from Justin Rogers’ Detroit News piece:
“Matthew has done wonderful things for Detroit except get to the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl,” Favre said. “Is that enough to pay him whatever they pay and just go status quo? I’m not saying it’s his fault, but why not offload this big price tag and start over because it’s sort of what you’re doing year in and year out any way? Again, I’m not blaming him, but from a business standpoint, that seems to be the better route to take, by investing in a young guy and starting over.”
Indeed, Stafford’s future would seem to be more up in the air than it’s ever been, and that’s something the quarterback seemed to grasp in a major way when he was speaking with reporters recently following the big organizational moves. Stafford was asked what’s next, and specifically declined to answer the question, saying he was more interested to talk about that later than right at the current moment.
It’s clear the Lions and Stafford can still have a relationship, especially after the quarterback had a 402 yard, 3 touchdown outburst over the weekend in Chicago. Even such, that is probably a conversation for another day considering much is left to be determined with regards to the front office direction in Detroit.
Favre, however, seemingly wants to see Stafford with the chance to move on and the Lions with the chance to start over.
Matthew Stafford’s Potential Trade Destinations
The Lions will have to have a clear plan in order to commit fully to moving on from Stafford given how stable he has been for years at quarterback and could remain that way in the future. Even still, there will be plenty of teams that could eyeball a Stafford trade this offseason if Detroit’s new brass decides to go that way. Teams like the 49ers, Bears, Eagles, Patriots and Colts could all see a quarterback shakeup and if Stafford were introduced onto the market, it would likely change the game this offseason with regards to what happens at quarterback.
For the Lions to trade Stafford, the team would likely have to have a high draft pick and a shot at one of the top players in the 2021 NFL Draft while committing to a full rebuild. Otherwise, there is simply no reason to move on from such a known commodity at this point even as Stafford is aging.
Brett Favre Long Compared With Matthew Stafford
The pair have been synonymous for a long time at quarterback thanks to the fact that they are gunslingers, or passers with strong arms who are not afraid to take chances on the field and possibly throw interceptions. Indeed, the pair has put up fantastic passing yards with Favre going for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns in his career while throwing 338 interceptions. Stafford has been the same way. He has set plenty of passing records and has 44,303 yards to his credit with 277 touchdowns but 143 interceptions. It’s very clear the duo is very comparable statistically given their penchant for putting up big passing numbers while also having plenty of interceptions.
The only things Favre has that Stafford does not? A Super Bowl ring as well as three NFL MVP awards. Favre had to leave the Atlanta Falcons to reach that level of success elsewhere. Quite possibly, he thinks Stafford will have to do the same to get his.
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