Why the Detroit Lions should not trade Matthew Stafford

There have been rumors floating that the Detroit Lions may be considering trading franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford. Here’s why that’s a bad idea.

As the 2018 season comes to a close for the Detroit Lions, it’s clear that this team is in the midst of a rebuild, as the building blocks are being put into place for a rehaul, with head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn being the architects.

And as this team heads to the off-season after yet another disappointing season, a rumor swirling around the internet that has Lions fans in a tizzy. As Mike Sando reported for ESPN, a random NFL executive thinks that Motor City will trade starting quarterback Matthew Stafford before the 2019 season begins.

This anonymous exec doesn’t seem to be the only one trying to speak this trade into existence, as NBCSports’ Peter King predicted that Bob Quinn should deal Stafford to Jacksonville if he was offered for a first and fourth round pick in the upcoming draft.

And according to Dave Birkett’s recent mailbag, it seems that more than a few Lions fans are willing to give up on the veteran gunslinger, even if that means paying the entirety of his 30 million dollar cap hit.

While all three of these pieces make some valid points, a Matthew Stafford trade, at least in 2019, is unrealistic.

Patricia has preached time and time again that he is trying to establish a new culture, getting young guys on cheap contracts that are willing to be flexible on defense and contribute when called upon on offense.

While building a new culture is crucial in this rehaul, Stafford can be a critical part of that culture. Being that he’s been in the league for a decade, Stafford not only provides a veteran presence for all these young pieces, but can be that key piece for this team to rally around when the going gets tough.

Financially, it’s logical to keep the face of the franchise in Detroit, as it makes more sense to pay 29.5 million dollars to keep him around instead of paying that plus an additional 500k to trade Stafford.

Even though Stafford has had a bit of down year by his standards this season, that doesn’t mean he has completely regressed as a quarterback. 2018 could simply be a fluke for the veteran, as losing your top two receiving options in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr. and his top running back Kerryon Johnson midway through the season did not help the former Georgia Bulldog by any means.

Just last season, Stafford showed that he can have quality statistical seasons, raking in almost 4,500 yards and 29 touchdowns while also leading the Lions to a 9-7 record, where they were knocking on the door of earning a playoff spot.

While it’s clear that 2018 was not a great year for Stafford, he clearly knows how to come back and lead a game winning drive, as he leads all quarterbacks in NFL history with 23.6 percent of his starts ending in a game winning drive.

It should be noted that hall of fame quarterbacks on this list like Joe Montana and Peyton Manning haven’t been trailing as much in the fourth quarter as Stafford has. And I am not by any means saying that Stafford is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

But all these come backs say a lot about the man’s character. He has proven time and time again that when he gets knocked down, he will get back up again. He is the physical embodiment for the city of Detroit: as rocky as his reputation has been, he can always prove people wrong and lead a charge in high pressure situations.

Trading Matthew Stafford marks a full rebuild for this franchise, and restarting with a rookie quarterback like Dwayne Haskins means that this team will not be in contention for a playoff spot for the next 2-3 years, throwing in the white flag to close out this decade.

And it can not be forgotten that the plays this season have been called by Jim Bob Cooter. As funny as his name is to say, his predictable offense and conservative approach has Stafford back, and a new offensive coordinator might spike some life into the veteran quarterback.

Stafford is not getting any younger. The Lions need to maximize their franchise quarterback while they still have him. And next season, when a healthy Jones Jr., Johnson, and Kenny Golladay return, a young defense gets another year of experience and the Lions receive an easier schedule, in this quick-change league that sees 3-4 new playoff teams every year, what’s to say the Lions can’t get back to the postseason in 2019?

In his recent interview with the Detroit Free Press, Stafford says that he wants to stay in the Motor City, and would love to be one of those guys who plays his entire NFL career with the same team.

Let’s not overthink things as a franchise and give the best quarterback this franchise has ever seen what he wants: another year to play in Detroit, and another chance to lead the team and the city he loves to another postseason appearance.