Interest in Matthew Stafford is cooler than the Lions had hoped
Jan 27, 2021, 5:09 PM
According to a story published on Wednesday by Pro Football Talk, the market for Matthew Stafford is cooler than the Lions had hoped. Per the report, only 10 NFL teams have inquired thus far about trading for Detroit’s quarterback.
That seems shockingly low, given that Stafford is only 32 years old, has posted gaudy numbers at times during his career and has led the Lions to the postseason – an unusual destination for Detroit – on three occasions. Perhaps his 74-90-1 career record as a starter is scaring them off.
Still, it seems odd that less than one-third of the league would pick up the phone to check on the asking price for a franchise QB. A quick run through the NFL’s current batch of starting quarterbacks suggests it should be more.
Here’s how the 31 teams (other than Detroit) shake out:
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SHOULD BE CALLING (10)
Stafford would be a significant upgrade over the current starters for these teams
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Denver Broncos
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Washington Football Team
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MIGHT BE CALLING (9)
Whether due to age of their QB or simply needing to mix things up, these teams should at least look into it
Atlanta Falcons
Dallas Cowboys
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
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WON’T BE CALLING (12)
Stafford isn’t as good as the current signal caller for these teams or they just invested in a young QB
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Seahawks
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If the Broncos are among the teams calling, and they should be because Stafford would be a big improvement over Drew Lock, this is good news. Perhaps the asking price won’t be as steep as many have feared.
