Is Matthew Stafford really in the same category as Aaron Rodgers?

Is Matthew Stafford a ‘Super Bowl quarterback’?

The biggest decision that the new regime will have to make will be about Matthew Stafford. The old ‘should he stay or should he go’ debate continues to rage. In the end, the answer is pretty simple when you consider your options.

If the Lions want to rebuild, then Matthew needs to be traded. If they want to re-tool, then they will keep Matthew due to the franchise’s continued sidestepping which has gotten them nowhere for decades.

For those who think keeping Matthew to groom his heir is a good idea, here’s the problem; eventually the heir needs to get on the field and Matthew isn’t going to just give up his playing time to sit. Also having Matthew in the lineup makes the Lions just good enough to keep them from getting a high impact draft choice.

If the Lions are going to rebuild, then they need to rebuild. That means accepting all the growing pains that come with it.

As for Matthew, there is at least one well-respected analyst who believes that Stafford can go elsewhere and build a championship legacy.

Former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning quarterback turned CBS analyst Phil Simms thinks Matthew Stafford is quite capable of leading a competitive team to the Super Bowl. That is why he hopes the Lions will trade Matthew this offseason.

In a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press, Phil Simms had much to say about the Lions’ all-time leading passer. A high opinion that many around the league share.

So while Simms’ assessment that Matthew is a ‘Super Bowl quarterback’ isn’t a solitary or farfetched opinion, it is his comparison to Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers that draws the most real interest.

Rodgers isn’t quite what he used to be, but he’s still better than almost everybody else who plays the position. He is an elite quarterback. That being said, is Simms overestimating Matthew’s abilities?