Getty Matthew Stafford playing the Cowboys.
The NFL had a major injury play out on Sunday, as Dak Prescott went down for the Dallas Cowboys and has likely been lost for the season.
The Cowboys are expected to turn to backup Andy Dalton in the meantime to help save their season, but what if that option doesn’t move the needle for the bombastic Jerry Jones? What if Dalton himself struggles to make a difference? Could Jones then decide to make a play for a quarterback on the open market ahead of the trade deadline?
As soon as Prescott went down Sunday, Detroit Lions fans were very keen to the idea that Matthew Stafford could be firmly in the mix to perhaps replace Prescott in the near future via trade.
Cue the “Bob Quinn should be on the phone with Jerry Jones right now and trade Stafford” tweets in 3….2….
Even former Detroit News columnist and 97.1 The Ticket radio contributor Terry Foster soon wondered if the Cowboys would crave such a bold move with Jones as their leader and soon make a call to Detroit on Stafford.
You know deep down that Jerry Jones loves Matthew Stafford more than Dak Prescott. Hmmmm. Are there some phone calls being made now?
Stafford, famously, hails from Highland Park, Texas which is a suburb of Dallas. It’s long been assumed but never proven that Jones could have eyes for Stafford as a result of this connection. Jones has also made a bold deal with the Lions before, dealing 3 picks in exchange for wideout Roy Williams in a 2008 trade that was widely ridiculed.
The major roadblock to this remains not only the uncertain future of Prescott, but the likely unwillingness of the team to deal their quarterback. Not only does the Ford family love Stafford, but the front office led by Bob Quinn has committed to sticking with him as well. It would take a major shift to deviate from that stance in the weeks ahead.
Detroit is 1-3, and the bottom could theoretically fall out on the season in a few weeks. If that happens, nobody knows the future of Quinn and Matt Patricia. Would the Lions really make another dramatic move with Stafford then? The smart money remains on the answer being no. If Detroit starts on a winning streak, they will also be more unlikely to unload their top player in the hopes they could make a run toward the postseason.
Still, that likely won’t stop folks from wondering in the coming days and weeks if there is any connection to be made here.
Matthew Stafford Explains He’s Committed To Lions
Speaking with the media earlier during training camp, Stafford commented again that outcome was excellent from his perspective, and cleared up a common misconception regarding the sale of his home. No, he isn’t looking to leave Detroit. Just the opposite, in fact. Stafford is committed to the team and the city more than ever.
Stafford asked about selling his home and reiterates it has nothing to do with his time as Detroit’s quarterback. He remains unchanged in his opinion that he wants to be here as long as possible.
Many wondered upon the revealing news that his Michigan house was for sale if this tipped either Stafford or Detroit’s hand moving forward, but it’s clear that his wife’s explanation at the time was spot on. Stafford remains committed to Detroit moving forward and that is great to see.
Stafford may be entrenched himself, but it will be fascinating to see how married the team is to him for the long run if changes do end up getting made.
Matthew Stafford Might be ‘Tired of Losing’
Are the Detroit losses wearing on the quarterback? It’s more than possible that is the case if Dan Orlovsky is to be believed. Recently, speaking with the Pat McAfee Show, Orlovsky was asked about the Lions and how long a potential restructuring of the team would take in the event they switch coaches again. Naturally, as a former player for the team, Orlovsky has a ton of opinions about the Lions and Stafford, given he is good friends with the quarterback. As he said, he isn’t sure that Stafford isn’t getting beaten down a bit by his surroundings and is unclear on what his future may hold.
A very passionate @danorlovsky7 who played under Coach Jim Caldwell has some thoughts on the @Lions #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE
Orlovsky said:
“Here’s the truth, Matthew’s my boy and I love him like a family member. But it feels like they’ve taken his killer instinct away sometimes when I watch him play right now. Like he used to be this killer, and I don’t know if they’ve kind of peeled that away. He’s just been beat up for so long. I think 12 years now, he’s got to be so sick and tired of losing. What happens if they move on from Matt Patricia, I don’t know if they do that. What happens if the new coach wants a new quarterback? Who’s that quarterback going to be? What do they do with Matthew Stafford? Is it going to take longer to rebuild with a young quarterback? I would say yes. I think there’s a lot of question marks hanging over the Lions organization right now than there were 4 or 5 weeks ago.”
The future of Stafford will become a big talking point for the Lions in the event that the team does decide on a sea change within the front office or at head coach in the months ahead. The current regime, led by Bob Quinn, has remained loyal to Stafford but it’s always possible that a major shakeup could leave his future open to interpretation. That’s especially true given the beating they are currently taking in the press.
Thus far in 2020, Stafford isn’t having the type of season that will wow many folks. He’s thrown 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions with 1,017 yards, but each of those picks have been in critical junctures of the game which directly led to defeat. During Week 4, plenty wondered if Stafford’s body language was showing frustration. He has maintained that is more due to the frustration of not being able to help his team win.
Detroit did restructure Stafford’s deal a month back. While it’s tough to imagine them dealing the quarterback this season, it’s possible that he is heading for an uncertain future with the team should there be more dramatic personnel changes coming. If that’s the case, it could have plenty to do with losses stacking up as Orlovsky says.
Thus far, there’s been no credible rumors that Stafford is or would be on the block. Even in spite of that, many will try to drum up this rumor in the coming weeks.