Lions sign Chase Daniel: Grade, reactions and more
The Detroit Lions have secured a veteran backup for Matthew Stafford, as Chase Daniel is coming aboard.
Over an NFL career spanning 10 seasons with four teams (Saints, Chiefs, Eagles and Bears), Chase Daniel has made five regular season starts and thrown 218 passes over 65 total games. That’s nice work as a career backup if you can get it, and according to Spotrac Daniel reached over $34 million in career earnings last year when he was with the Chicago Bears.
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was on track for the best season of his career last year, before a back injury sidelined him and he eventually missed the final eight games. The combination of David Blough and Jeff Driskel delivered just about as expected, as the Lions lost all eight games they started to help secure a 3-12-1 record and the No. 3 pick in April’s draft. That could go down as one of the best unintended tanks in pro sports history.
So finding a capable veteran to backup, but obviously not compete to replace, Stafford had to be somewhere on the radar for the Lions this offseason. There’s no better personification of that concept than Daniel, and indeed he will be headed to Detroit on a multi-year deal.
Contract Details
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported a three-year, $13.05 million deal for Daniel with the Lions. The deal also includes a voidable clause. Details on the guaranteed money, and how the voidable clause could be triggered, don’t appear to be out yet.
National Reaction
Chase Daniel is my hero. Made over 30M and started 5 games in his career. https://t.co/dcar6bpixV
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 17, 2020
All of this quarterback news and Chase Daniel is just quietly and calmly collecting his cash. pic.twitter.com/vGjVbg4w9Z
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) March 17, 2020
5 career starts for Chase Daniel and he has already made 34 million in his career.
— Cody Tapp (@codybtapp) March 17, 2020
Just signed for another 13
He has made 228K per completion
The Lions will be the 4th (!!!) team to give Chase Daniel at least $10 million since 2013.
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 17, 2020
He has 7 career passing TDs in 5 career starts.
The American dream. https://t.co/ZfAPQ5x66J
Chase Daniel career earnings with this new deal is about $50M. He’s started 5 games in his 10-yr career (3 in the last 2 seasons) He’s a LEGEND!!! The finesse... #Bears https://t.co/hwf8Vpjwod
— Laurence Holmes (@LaurenceWHolmes) March 17, 2020
Chase Daniel has five career starts and now has signed four contracts worth $10 million or more. Not a bad way to make a living.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) March 17, 2020
If Chase Daniel sees the full $13M in this new contract, he’ll have made $47M for his career.
— Adam Lefkoe (@AdamLefkoe) March 17, 2020
That’s about what Doug Baldwin and Alfred Morris made...combined.
Chase Daniel is going to retire as the NFL's all-time leader in dollars made-to-snaps played, and it won't be close. https://t.co/MjgNsJiklY
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) March 17, 2020
QB Chase Daniel has been in the NFL for 10 years, made 5 starts and will hit $47.4M in career earnings if he stays for the duration of his new contract with the Lions.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) March 17, 2020
Next. 5 teams who should trade for Cam Newton. dark
The Lions needed a backup quarterback who can hold down the fort in Stafford’s absence, and Daniel was available. If he fulfills the whole contract he’ll top $47 million in career earnings, at 36 years old, and if things play out as hoped for the Lions with not many more than that handful of career starts.