‘Does That Answer Your Question?’ GM Candidate Boosts Matthew Stafford

The Detroit Lions have a big decision to make with regards to the future of Matthew Stafford, and their choice is no doubt at least partially tied to what they decide to do at general manager.

If Louis Riddick is the choice, the Lions will have a guy occupying the GM chair that is fully in the corner of the quarterback moving forward. Recently, Riddick was asked on ESPN about the future of Stafford in Detroit, and quite directly what he would do if he were the general manager. The answer? Try to build Stafford up.

Twitter user Owen captured the moment Riddick was asked about Stafford, and his answer on the matter was pretty direct.

Riddick said:

“Matthew Stafford’s a good quarterback. Matthew Stafford’s a real good quarterback. He’s got a good left tackle, a good center, two good running backs. They’ve got some issues at wide receiver as far as unrestricted free agency is concerned. Matthew Stafford should be sitting right where he is. Detroit builds around him, they’ll be just fine.”

The statement is basically a mic drop when it comes to the quarterback and his potential future in the Motor City, at least in a possible Riddick regime. Clearly, this answer won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s clear Riddick has a plan for the Lions and the quarterback is part of it moving forward.

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Louis Riddick Defends Matthew Stafford

It’s clear that Matthew Stafford is a player that will dominate the headlines for the next few months in terms of the offseason and general manager search, but with Riddick in the mix, it’s more than interesting to see the commentary on the matter from the candidate. Riddick has been in Stafford’s corner before, saying the team’s struggles are more a product of what’s gone on around Stafford instead of the quarterback himself. Clearly, with him doubling down on this after the interview, he’s made no bones about the fact that if he were in charge, Stafford would be sticking around.

How might this impact the general manager search? That’s a fascinating question, and a lot of that will depend on what Lions ownership wants to do moving forward and how much they like Stafford.

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Louis Riddick’s Resume for Lions

The work of Mike Mayock and John Lynch transitioning from the broadcast booth to the general manager chair recently is something which makes Riddick an interesting name to remember for the Lions this coming offseason. Riddick has had few chances to interview for roles in the past, but with the Lions looking to cast a wide net, he will be a very savvy option for the team to remember. Before working in television, Riddick was a scout and the Director of Pro Personnel in both Washington and Philadelphia. Riddick has been out of the NFL executive side since 2013, but has remained close in the game working in television and understands plenty to be a great hire in Detroit. To that end, he’s much different than Matt Millen, who had no experience running a team of any kind or working in a front office when the Lions hired him away from Fox in 2000.

Riddick is clearly firmly in the corner of Stafford, and that will dominate and shape his potential candidacy in Detroit.

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