Matthew Stafford to the San Francisco 49ers could happen this offseason.
After 12 years in the NFL with the dysfunctional Detroit Lions, this offseason could result in Matthew Stafford being traded and getting the change of scenery he so desperately needs. One team that’s being linked to potentially trading for Stafford is the San Francisco 49ers, who could be looking for a new quarterback.
The first thing to address is that yes, the 49ers do have Jimmy Garoppolo under contract for the next two seasons and they’ll have to decide what they want to do with him. As Josh Schrock of NBC Sports mentioned, the Niners can’t really afford to take a gamble on a rookie or young quarterback because their Super Bowl window is still open.
The 49ers were very close to winning the Super Bowl with Garoppolo under center and he gives them a better chance to win than that of a rookie or young option. That being said, Stafford would be the best possible option to bring in for this team.
Would the San Francisco 49ers be a good fit for Matthew Stafford?
We haven’t seen Stafford win a lot of meaningful games during his 12-year career in Detroit, but not all of that is on him. The Lions aren’t a great organization and haven’t done their part in surrounding Stafford with talent. It wouldn’t be like that in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch running the show for the 49ers.
Stafford might be a few years older than Garoppolo, but he would be an upgrade at the quarterback position. For one, and this might not be fair, but Stafford has been the more durable between the two. Garoppolo started all 16 games for San Francisco last season, but otherwise, he’s only started a max of six games in each of his three other seasons with the Niners.
The 49ers are going to have to make a tough decision this offseason regarding the quarterback position, but if they’re serious about turning back into a Super Bowl contender after a year ravaged by injuries, trading for Stafford could give their team the spark it needs. Continuing to roll with Garoppolo wouldn’t be a bad decision, but the injuries have plagued him throughout his career and that could be something the team considers when making this decision.
It’d be a gutsy move to trade for Matthew Stafford, but it could make the 49ers a front runner in the competitive NFC West in 2021.