Matthew Stafford to the Colts? It's not a ridiculous question.
It's rumor season in the National Football League, as leading up to the draft, it's hard to know which trade rumors are real and which ones are just teams trying to pull a fast one.
After years of mediocrity in the NFC North, one of the latest rumors is that Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is on the trade block. While those rumors have gotten weird and it's hard to tell whether or not the Lions are pulling a smoke screen, the Indianapolis Colts should be interested in acquiring the former Pro Bowl passer.
According to Colts experts, all signs point to Indianapolis drafting a quarterback in Round 1. But if the Lions want to start over at that spot and steal a guy the Colts are interested, Stafford could be more than a serviceable option.
While Jacoby Brissett played well for the Colts, he looked shaky after injuring his knee. Healthy knees is something every mobile quarterback wants to have, and it's unclear whether or not Brissett's play is sustainable.
Even though he is coming off a back injury himself, Stafford is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL, as before he went down, he had previously appeared in 137 consecutive game, which was at the time the second longest active streak in the league.
If he had even a few playoff wins to his name, there's a legitimate case to be made for Stafford to make the Hall-of-Fame. He has thrown for 5,000 yards, and has been near the top of the passing yards leader board in multiple years.
Even after Calvin Johnson abruptly retired in 2016, Stafford has still been consistent in the pocket. He has lead 34 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, giving Lions fans hope in every game that Detroit inevitably falls behind.
Stafford is when of the best in the league when trailing in the fourth quarter, as he leads the league in fourth-quarter comebacks since 2009. Every game that the former Georgia Bulldog plays in, he can not be counted out.
Part of the reason why Stafford has lead so many comebacks is because the Lions have more often than not put an awful roster around him, but that is nowhere near the case with the Colts.
There's a reason why the Colts were a popular Super Bowl LIV pick before Andrew Luck retired in the 2019 preseason. They have a very solid roster, complete with big playmakers in Marlon Mack and T.Y. Hilton, one of the best offensive lines in football, and a bend-don't break defense that helped keep the Colts in games this season.
Had Brissett been able to stay healthy all season, with all the talent on the Colts' roster, they could have easily made the playoffs and had made some noise when they get there.
Plug Stafford into the quarterback spot, with all those weapons and a good defense, and you have a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
If the Lions are seriously taking phone calls about trading their franchise quarterback, the Indianapolis Colts should be the first team to pick up the phone.
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