5 Potential Matthew Stafford landing spots for the 2021 NFL season
Matthew Stafford needs a change of scenery but where could the quarterback fit elsewhere in the NFL?
After going 0-16 in 2008, the Detroit Lions held the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and selected Matthew Stafford out of the University of Georgia. Stafford has remained in Detroit for his entire 12-year career and hasn’t won a playoff game during his time there.
It’s not all on Stafford of course, as the Lions continue to flounder year after year. Recently, it was the whiffing on head coach Matt Patricia, who was let go after the Lions got their butts kicked by the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving.
Usually when a head coach and general manager are relieved of their duties, moving on from the quarterback is the next step. Stafford hasn’t been bad during his time with Detroit, but a change of scenery — mainly getting him out of the nightmare organization that is the Lions – would be best for the former No. 1 overall pick.
If the Lions move on from Stafford this offseason, they would take a $25 million cap hit. If they keep him, they’ll pay him $35 million in 2021. At this point, the Lions need to be thinking about the next chapter and that means moving on from Stafford is the right decision, especially if they have a chance to land a decent quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Stafford is still a capable starter, but he might find himself in a situation where he’s mentoring the next guy. That tends to happen once a quarterback is in his early to mid-30s. At 32, Stafford has several more years left in the tank, but another team might want to use him as more of a bridge for their next quarterback.
So, who are some teams who could benefit from Stafford’s services?
5 Potential Matthew Stafford landing spots for 2021
42. . NFC West. San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco 49ers. 5. player
This season hasn’t gone according to plan for the San Francisco 49ers, who represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last season, had a 10-point lead in said Super Bowl, and lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The loss wasn’t squarely on Jimmy Garoppolo’s shoulders, but if he makes that throw to Emmanuel Sanders, he has a different legacy right now.
The 2020 season was another opportunity for Garoppolo to prove he’s the right guy for the 49ers, but unfortunately, the season hasn’t been kind to Jimmy G. He’s started only six games this year and has thrown just two more touchdown passes (seven) than he has interceptions (five) during that time. He was benched in the horrific loss to Miami and has been on injured reserve since Week 9.
With the Niners still in playoff contention, they won’t be getting a high enough draft pick to take one of the top tier quarterbacks in next year’s draft. If they’re wanting to move on from Garoppolo, however, Stafford could be an option. The Niners have the talent to win and Stafford would give them a reliable quarterback with a big arm.
The main issue here is that Stafford (32) is older than Garoppolo (29) and the 49ers would be in cap hell if they made this move. San Francisco is honestly probably better off drafting a quarterback on Day 2 and rolling with Nick Mullins, but Matthew Stafford is someone who would make them a better team. Finances are the tricky part here though.