Detroit Lions should rest Matthew Stafford for the rest of the season

There’s no reason for the Detroit Lions to start Matthew Stafford going forward

The Detroit Lions were officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss on Sunday to the Tennessee Titans. Despite suffering a rib injury the game prior and having an injured thumb, quarterback Matthew Stafford decided to play through the pain.

By looking at his stats against the Titans, you wouldn’t even be able to tell he was injured. He completed 68.8 percent of his passes (22/32) throwing for 252 yards and a touchdown.

He insisted on playing which shows his dedication and commitment to the Lions. He most likely appeared in the game against the Titans for three reasons: He wants to be out on the field, he wants to win, and wants to get the Lions to the playoffs no matter how small the possibility is.

Despite the fact that he probably wants to play the last two games of the season, interim head coach Derrell Bevell should bench Stafford and hand the reigns over to quarterback Chase Daniel.

If the Lions win any of their remaining games, they would be meaningless as they won’t go towards playoff contention rather it would just hurt the future of the team in regards to their draft position.

At a current record of 5-9, the Lions would be set to pick out of the 11th slot if the season ended today. If they lose their next two games, they would firmly thrust themselves into a top 10 selection in the upcoming draft with the lowest seemingly being the eighth pick. While many things would have to happen, there is a small chance that they could even get a top-five pick if the Lions lose their next two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings.

By selecting higher up in the draft, they would be able to select a better player and would be more likely to have the guy they desire to fall to where they’re at. Having a higher pick would be a huge boost to the future of the team and could be the difference between getting the player they want and missing out on him.

Also for Stafford, it would give him rest from the hard physicality that the game of football is. Stafford has been a bit prone to injuries over the past little bit as he missed the last eight games of last season and is dealing with two different ailments right now.

Benching Stafford for the final two games of the season would only really benefit the future of the franchise and while it won’t be a popular decision among the fanbase, it’s the smart thing to do.