Matthew Stafford Demanding Detroit Lions Trade Him?
Is Matthew Stafford demanding that the Detroit Lions trade him? Some people think it is beginning to look that way.
For the past few weeks, rumors have run rampant that Detroit is shopping Stafford. The idea is that with their number three overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, it would make sense for them to take a young quarterback they can build around.
Stafford, at that point, would become expendable.
The popular assumption was that these talks existed because the Lions were putting out feelers to see what they could get for their veteran quarterback.
As it turns out, that might not be the case though.
On Thursday, Lions head coach Matt Patricia came out and called the rumors of the team shopping Stafford ludicrous.
Finally, in my @nflnetwork segment, I said this in reference to the Matthew Stafford trade rumors: some GMs and coaches around the league believe Stafford is the one who wants the Lions to move him… an interesting twist on this story. Stay tuned.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) February 28, 2020
“It’s comical. Not interested in doing anything with that,” he said.
“It’s not even a conversation. He’s one of the reasons I came to Detroit.”
According to NFL insider Michael Silver, Detroit is not actually looking to trade Stafford. That is the good news. The bad news, however, is that Stafford reportedly wants to be moved.
“Some general managers and coaches around the league believe Stafford is the one who wants the Lions to move him,” Silver said.
That certainly makes for an interesting twist.
All that being said, it is still very unlikely that Detroit moves Stafford this offseason.
First and foremost, if the Lions get rid of Stafford this offseason the team would end up eating a $20 million dead cap hit for no reason at all.
Secondly, Patricia is coaching for his job this year. It would make no sense for him to play a quarterback of the future when he has a proven veteran to lead the offense.
Above all else, Stafford is still a really good quarterback. Prior to getting hurt, he was having a tremendous 2019 campaign. Through eight games, he recorded 2,500 yards and 19 touchdowns.
No matter who wants Stafford gone in Detroit, the smart money says he is not going anywhere next season.
Related: Baltimore Ravens Taking Jalen Hurts In 2020 NFL Draft?
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
