The Detroit Lions are in the process of rebuilding their organization. They brought in new general manager Brad Holmes and a new head coach in Dan Campbell. The Lions also announced they will be fielding Matthew Stafford trade offers.
With Stafford on the trade block, the asking price for the former No. 1 overall draft pick is rumored to include a first-round pick. With that in mind, these are three teams that could and should pull off a Matthew Stafford trade.
Most Likely Matthew Stafford Trade Destinations
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are dealing with uncertainty at quarterback, following the retirement of Philip Rivers. The Colts are in the market for a quarterback to take them deep into the playoffs. They went 11-5 this year and lost to the Bills in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. With the Colts looking to contend right now and being a quarterback and possibly one receiving weapon way, this is a popular landing spot. Indianapolis is also willing to trade their first-round pick, shown by them doing so last season for DeForest Buckner.
The Colts’ best option is Stafford, and he is worth their first-round draft pick.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, in their first year without Tom Brady, flirted with the playoffs while also flirting with tanking. They came up short on both ends. They finished 7-9. The Patriots will likely let Cam Newton walk in free agency, so they will again be searching for their next quarterback. Stafford could fit the bill. New England had the 30th-ranked passing offense in the league, and Stafford led the 12th-best in Detroit. Stafford’s former head coach Matt Patricia is back in New England, which could be good or bad for getting Stafford in town. The Patriots are rebuilding their offense and Stafford could be the focal point of their new era.
San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan hasn’t sounded happy with having Jimmy Garoppolo starting at quarterback in 2021. He sounds open to change. In a conversation with the media, Shanahan told reporters that “You don’t sit here and make promises on anything. When you build a football team, it’s your job to put the best team together year in and year out.”
The San Francisco 49ers had an injury-plagued season, and they are trying to get back to contending. Stafford could do the trick. The 49ers had a boatload of quarterback issues in 2020 and Stafford could quickly solve those issues. Stafford would also open up the running game by forcing defenses to respect the passing game. With Garoppolo being an inexpensive cut, with relatively little money guaranteed to him, San Francisco would be more than willing to make the switch to Stafford.
