Detroit Lions secure backup quarterback position with Chase Daniel

With concerns about the future health of quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Detroit Lions buy themselves some insurance with veteran Chase Daniel.

Last year, the 3-12-1 Detroit Lions ended their season losing nine straight games. The fact the team didn’t have veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford under center for eight of those contests due to injury was the biggest contributing factor to those losses. And the future health of Stafford, who turned 32-years old last month, is a major concern moving forward.

So, it was expected the Lions would try to buy themselves a bit of insurance in free agency at the quarterback position. And now they have. Detroit has agreed to terms with veteran backup passer Chase Daniel according to ESPN.com. The contract is reportedly a three-year deal worth $13.05 million and possesses a voidable clause.

Undrafted out of Missouri back in 2009, Daniel spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, winning a Super Bowl with them as a rookie who never saw the field. He’d spend the following three years with the Kansas City Chiefs before bouncing around the league spending one season with the Philadelphia Eagles and another back with the Saints.

For the past two seasons, Daniel has been a backup for the Chicago Bears. In fact, he helped to defeat the Lions in 2018 during a Week 12 matchup at Ford Field. The veteran backup would complete 27 of his 37 passes for 230 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in the 23-16 victory over Detroit. That performance clearly left an impression.

Despite entering his 12th season in the NFL, Daniel has just five total starts under his belt. That’s the same amount of starts rookie quarterback David Blough had for the Lions just last season. Daniel’s career numbers include throwing for a total of 1,430 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions with a 68.3 completion percentage and an 87.5 quarterback rating.

Although Chase Daniel offers stability and some insurance at the quarterback position based on his years spent as a backup, it’s unreasonable to expect the 33-year old could carry the Detroit Lions to multiple victories if they lose Matthew Stafford for any significant amount of time.