Matthew Stafford has long been the face of the Lions.
He was the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft after a distinguished career at Georgia, and he immediately assumed the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2009 season.
Stafford holds every record for right-back quarterback in Detroit. His 45,109 passes are almost 30,000 more than the second. His 282 touchdowns are 150 more than the second. With 74 wins in midfield, he’s 21 more than the next closest QB. His 62.6 completion rate is better than any QB that has completed at least one season worthy of being a starter. Though not a mobile midfielder, he even ranks 21st in hasty touches (14) and 33rd in javelin (1,198).
That’s why it’s certainly been a strange season for Detroit fans to see him hit the field in Los Angeles and play in another central quarterback for the Lions. But why did the team switch from the iconic franchise? Sporting News dives into what led to his departure.
THAN: Transaction details of Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford
Why does Lion Trade Matthew Stafford?
For all the individual success Stafford found with the Lions, the group’s success was unmatched.
In 12 years with the Lions, Detroit has only won the championship four times and reached the knockout stages only three times. Every time they get to the post-season, the result is the same: an exit in the Wild Card round.
Stafford, 33 years old at the time of the trade, finished the season with 17th all-time in passes with 45,109 and 16th in touchdowns. He’s had his eighth season with at least 4,000 yards passing. The talent is clearly still there, and although he has matured in age, he already has a pound legacy. He just needs a real shot into a ring.
Detroit is clearly not going to give him that chance anytime soon. After a third consecutive season in the basement of NFC North, the Lions have changed coaches and are gearing up for an organizational overhaul.
Stafford decided that he wanted out. After the 2020 season ends, Detroit Free Press reported it that the Lions and Stafford had agreed to seek a transaction.
After dealing with Rams, he explained to Free Press that while he has never seen himself compete anywhere else, he wants the chance to play for a championship.
“I’ve always wanted to play in those big games, I feel like I’m going to be excellent in those situations,” he told the Free Press. “I want to fire my shot.”
Stafford explained that he and his wife, Kelly Stafford, have begun discussions to leave Detroit before the 2020 season begins. He said that once it became clear that another opportunity was coming for the general manager and head coach, he felt it was time to move on.
THAN: This is what the Lions can get for Matthew Stafford instead of Jared Goff
“I share my frustration at not being able to give them what I wanted in the end, a championship,” Stafford told the Free Press. “It was a tough conversation, probably the hardest one I’ve ever had, but one that I’ve come out of has, frankly, blown away their support and their understanding.
Although the Lions may have turned down the opportunity to trade him and keep him at Detroit, where he has two years left on his contract, they have agreed to part ways with the franchise’s quarterback. me. The deal also makes sense from Detroit’s point of view. With Stafford in midfield, they are likely to win enough games to keep them out of the lower draft selection range, and they will keep about $43 million in cap space over the next two years to pay for he.
There were a number of candidates interested in racing against him, including the Panthers, Broncos, Colts, 49ers, Washington and Patriots, but it was ultimately the Rams that drew the Lions. Detroit received Jared Goff, an experienced QB who could still win some games and keep the team competitive, first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, and third-round picks in 2021.
For a rebuilding team like the Lions, that’s a lot of work to do, even if the final pick will be a bit lower as the Rams are expected to be a perennial contender.
And for Stafford, it landed him an instant Super Bowl powerhouse, instantly becoming a favorite among many to win this year’s title.
Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff
There hasn’t been much comparison between how the two quarterbacks have played this season. It’s important to note, of course, that Stafford has a far superior receiving line-up with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods – pre-injury – and now Odell Beckham Jr., as well as a better attacking line.
But just looking at the 2021 stats of the two quarterbacks, Stafford has been and is going to be the better QB this season. Stafford has completed 67.7% of his passes with 3,014 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the 10 games played so far. He’s fourth in passes this season and third in passes to the ground, and his Rams come in at 7-3, tied for the fourth-best record in the NFL.
Goff and the Lions have struggled. In a strong way. Goff completed 66.1% of his passes in 2,109 yards with eight touchdown passes and six interceptions in nine games. With Goff as the starter, Detroit lost 0-8-1. He missed Detroit’s Week 10 game due to injury, and Tim Boyle was even worse at the start, passing just 77 yards with two interceptions and no touchdown in the 13-yard loss. 10 before the Browns.
