The stage is set for one of the more notable breakups in the NFL to take place, and according to a few notable insiders, it could happen soon.
The Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford have reportedly reached an agreement to part ways after 12 seasons together. And while speculation continues to abound as to his next potential destination and what the Lions could receive in return for Stafford, one former NFL player had some less than flattering terms to describe the soon to be former Lions QB.
Former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi explained that he’d rather not see Stafford land in New England during an appearance on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni, & Fauria”, disagreeing with former safety Rodney Harrison:
“No, I don’t agree with Hot Rod, there,” Bruschi explained. “I mean I’m a fan of Matthew Stafford, the player. I’m just not a fan of his teams. So what does that say? It says watching him play is fun, sling it all over the place, the arm angles, taking chances, all of that stuff, that’s great. But it never equals into anything substantial, anything meaningful for the victory.”
Asked to elaborate, Bruschi took a shot at Stafford’s lack of success in the playoffs.
“He is a star but, yes, he is not a winner,” Bruschi asserted. “There are a lot of guys out there with a lot of stats that have no playoff wins, and I think Stafford doesn’t have playoff wins for a reason.”
Bruschi then noted that Stafford’s former head coach in Matt Patricia is once again back in New England, and hinted at the reported rift the two had in Detroit:
“Now [if] he comes to New England, you’re going to have to drop in pay, you’re going to have to learn to play a different way,” Bruschi noted. “And if there’s anyone that knows what kind of player you are, he’s on the staff now who’s just been hired and that’s Matt Patricia.
“So you have to anticipate what that relationship was like, and what the information they’re getting from Matt Patricia in terms of that relationship. Is it positive?” asked Bruschi. “But I would say this: Winning football is something that I don’t really recognize when I watch him play. I just recognize the highlight plays that he has, and that really is not going to work with this type of team in my opinion.”
– – Quotes via Hayden Bird of Boston.com Link – –
