Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions have agreed to part ways as the organization under a new coaching staff will look to bring in their own hand picked players. Stafford, widely regarded as one of the toughest and most underrated signal callers in the league, will be changing his scenery for the foreseeable future and the Indianapolis Colts have come up as a logical landing spot.
New Lions head coach Dan Campbell is completely changing the culture in Detroit, and with that typically comes a major platoon change. Campbell knows Stafford is a great player, but if he doesn’t believe he will fit the new culture he will want to trade the veteran quarterback.
Stafford, 32, has been the model of consistency in his NFL career and puts up very under appreciated numbers each season. In 2020, Stafford logged a completion percentage of 64.2, tossed 4,084 passing yards, and had a touchdown to interception ratio of 26 to 10.
He is one of the hottest names on the trade block right now and he will be changing teams this offseason. The Colts have the best odds to land Stafford and they would benefit from landing the former Pro Bowler.
Here are three reasons why the Colts should be chomping at the bits to land Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.
3. Competitive Roster
One of the best and most important reasons why the Colts should look to trade for Stafford is because of how competitive their roster is right now. The Colts made the playoffs in 2020, and while they lost in the first round, the window of opportunity is still there.
The Colts year after year have built solid rosters and a quarterback like Stafford could be the final piece to the puzzle. The Colts also have quite a bit of money to build around Stafford as well, which makes it an even more intriguing option to bring Stafford in.
Playoff windows in the NFL close as fast as they open if teams don’t take advantage of them and the Colts need to attempt to not fall victim to a lack of postseason success. If the Colts add Matthew Stafford to the roster, they can be one of the top teams in the AFC for years to come.
2. QB Friendly Head Coach
Another one of the reasons the Colts should trade for Stafford is because of the man they have leading the pack as a whole. The Colts’ head coach, Frank Reich, is one of the best head coaches in the NFL and is a very quarterback friendly coach.
Reich has coached and developed some great quarterbacks in his coaching career and his most notable work may be from his time in the City of Brotherly Love (Philadelphia) and his work with Carson Wentz. He had Wentz, who led the NFL in turnovers in 2020, in all of the MVP conversations before his season-ending injury a few years ago and ever since Reich left the organization Wentz has struggled to regain that MVP form.
He is such a good coach that veteran quarterback Philip Rivers was able was able to transition to a new team for the first time in his career and lead the Colts to the playoffs. If he can succeed with quarterbacks like those, there’s no telling how well Reich would succeed with Matthew Stafford under center.
1. Stafford Wants to Play in Indy
There’s a reason the Colts currently have the best odds to land Stafford (3/1), and it’s because Stafford has been vocal about welcoming a trade to the Colts. The reasons mentioned above likely have something to do with Stafford’s admiration of the Colts, but it’s always a great thing when one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks wants to play for your organization.
The Colts have an established offensive line, a plethora of offensive weapons, and a top-tier defense that Stafford would be welcomed to. The Colts would also have a surplus amount of money to not only pay Stafford, but to also add some talent around him.
If the Colts brought in Stafford, per his wishes, it would be to a team that is very well rounded and can succeed with the guys they already have. Frank Reich is one of the best motivators in the NFL, which is why he always has one of the hardest teams to beat. All of Reich’s players love to compete for him and Matthew Stafford would do the same.
