Matthew Stafford’s future with Detroit Lions is in question
By John Buhler
Matthew Stafford, the first overall selection made the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft, may not fit into the Lions’ future plans, according to sources.
According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Detroit Lions have uncertainty in starting quarterback Matthew Stafford’s possible long-term future with the football team. This could stand as Stafford’s last stand in the Motor City in 2015.
The future beyond 2015 for #Lions QB Matthew Stafford is very much in doubt, as I understand it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2015
This is not how the Detroit Lions wanted their 2015 NFL season to go. After finishing 2014 at 11-5, earning the six-seed in the NFC Playoffs, the Lions were supposedly a shoe-in to get back into the postseason this year. Detroit instead has the worst record in football at 1-7.
The Ford Family fired three coaches on the offensive staff midseason including former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, the grandson of the man whose name is on the trophy that Detroit yearns for but has never played for. That seems like bad karma that will only add to the half century of perpetual futility in Motown.
Detroit hasn’t been this bad since the year before the Lions selected quarterback Matthew Stafford first overall out of the University of Georgia in spring of 2009. Despite coming off his first Pro Bowl season, the Lions organization may choose to part ways with their franchise’s statistically best passer, possibly as soon as this offseason.
Stafford has one of the strongest arms in the National Football League. His ability to connect on deep vertical strikes with wide receiver Calvin Johnson has made him a terrific fantasy quarterback when he’s not throwing picks. However, his injury prone past and erratic nature at times in the pocket may mean it’s time for the Detroit Lions to get some return on their investment.
No doubt that in a system that uses an offensive line will Matthew Stafford continue to play at a high level in the NFL. It’s only been a decade since he was the prized gem of the High School Recruiting Class of 2006 out of Highland Park, Texas. His arm talent is still obvious.
Would it make sense for the Lions to trade their former first overall pick? Could they get a handful of lucrative draft picks for him? The Detroit Lions still have him under contract through the 2017 NFL Season, but at a high price.
If the Detroit Lions want to start over with a Jared Goff type of passer in the 2016 NFL Draft, they may consider parting ways with the former first overall pick. It’s crazy to think that this is potentially where the Detroit Lions organization’s head is at. Parting ways with Matthew Stafford would mean their seven-year experiment with him was an expensive, but underperforming one.