The Detroit Lions cleaned house this weekend, firing head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn amid another poor start. What exactly do the changes mean for quarterback Matthew Stafford? That remains to be seen.
Stafford was asked on Monday about his future with the team, though he hardly made a stirring commitment to the franchise.
The former No. 1 overall pick is technically under contract through 2022, though his deal has an out after this year. However, the Lions might not be inclined to simply cut him because they would owe nearly $25 million in dead cap space.
Detroit could choose to possibly trade Stafford in an effort to move up in next year's draft. There were rumblings the Lions were floating Stafford to possibly move up and select Justin Herbert or Tua Tagovailoa this past April, but nothing ever really came off those rumors.
These past few years have been immensely trying for Stafford. The Lions have not had a winning season since 2017, and they have not made the playoffs since 2016. Patricia replaced Jim Caldwell after the 2017 campaign, but Detroit has stumbled through two-plus years of losing.
The former Georgia star got off to one of his best starts ever in 2019, only to be sidelined for the final eight games of the year due to injury. Matthew Stafford has played decently this year, but Detroit's offense has been wrecked by injuries while the secondary has struggled.
It remains to be seen if the Lions are truly about to tear it all down. But if Detroit is hoping for a full-on rebuild, the 32-year-old Stafford could be looking for greener pastures.
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