Matthew Stafford has requested a trade and if you are into betting, the smart bet is that he will be playing for a team other than the Detroit Lions in 2021.
That Lions are reportedly going to accommodate Stafford’s request as long as they can get a return package that they consider to be the going price for a veteran quarterback who is still in his prime.
Earlier today, a report surfaced that about 1/3 of the league has inquired about what it would cost to acquire Stafford but according to Mike Florio, that is not as much interest as the Lions expected to get. In fact, Florio says it was “undoubtedly” the Lions who leaked the information that 1/3 of the league has reached out.
From Pro Football Talk:
The Lions undoubtedly leaked that number to NFL Media in order to generate more interest.
The teams that should at least make the call include the Jets, Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, Browns, Jaguars, Colts, Texans, Broncos, Raiders, Washington, Cowboys (as a potentially cheaper alternative to Dak Prescott), Bears, Vikings, Panthers, Saints, Falcons, 49ers, and Rams. That’s nearly two thirds of the league.
Maybe some teams simply aren’t intersted. Maybe some teams simply want the Lions to get nervous and thus desperate and thus willing to get whatever they can for Stafford instead of driving the hardest bargain.
Regardless, the Lions for now seem to be having a much harder time than expected when it comes to generating interest in Stafford.
I get what Florio is saying here as I believe Stafford is a top 10 quarterback in the league. So, theoretically, 22 teams should be calling the Lions. But, that is not necessarily how it works and if 1/3 of the league is truly interested, the Lions should be just fine with that as multiple teams will end up bidding for his services.
