Matthew Stafford trade candidates: Here are the best spots for the QB

Matthew Stafford wants a trade away from the Lions, and Detroit reportedly plans to grant him his wishes.

As a soon-to-be 33-year-old franchise quarterback, Stafford should have no shortage of teams interested in him.

Stafford has led the Lions to the playoffs three times during his career, made a Pro Bowl, thrown for over 40 touchdowns once, and over 5,000 yards once. He has enough talent to really help a team win.

So where would his best landing spots be? Let’s take a look.

1. Indianapolis Colts

Indy has a playoff team that lost Andrew Luck but brought in Philip Rivers this season. Rivers is retiring, leaving them with a hole at QB. Stafford would be the perfect fit there. They’re a team that’s a lot closer to contending than rebuilding, they just need the QB. If there is any spot that makes the most sense for Stafford, it’s Indianapolis.

2. Washington Football Team

Martin Mayhew, who drafted Stafford in Detroit, just got hired by Washington. That makes the possibility of Washington having interest in Stafford seem very real. Though his efforts to return this season were valiant, Alex Smith still is not a reliable option due to issues associated with his leg injury. Washington could cut Smith for a dead cap value of $10.8 million, which would allow them to afford Stafford at quarterback. Stafford might be interested too, as Washington’s defense is legit, and they just need more help on offense.

3. San Francisco 49ers

The Niners may have Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, but there are no certain signs that they want to keep him. Stafford, despite his age, would be an upgrade and is more of a proven player than Jimmy G. Imagine what he could do in Kyle Shanahan’s offense? Detroit also might be more interested in a trade for Garoppolo as that would return them a quarterback they could work with too. But they might prefer to just rebuild completely rather than take back a quarterback.

4. Denver Broncos

Denver has lots of offensive weapons and some talented players on defense. They just don’t have a quarterback. John Elway is no longer running the show, which means their new GM might not be tied to Drew Lock. What better way to start a tenure for new GM George Paton than by pulling off a huge trade for a new QB?

5. New England Patriots

It’s not really in Bill Belichick’s character to give up a bunch of draft picks for a player, so we wouldn’t necessarily expect this outcome. But it’s definitely a conversation New England would have to consider, since they don’t have a quarterback. Cam Newton did not work out, and Jarrett Stidham is not a long-term answer. Stafford might love playing for Belichick too after over a decade in Detroit.

Bonus spots:

Dolphins – They have some extra draft picks thanks to ripping off the Texans for Laremy Tunsil. That could be ammo for a trade, and they could package Tua Tagovailoa in a deal, too.

Jets – They have a high pick in the draft and need a QB. Would they prefer Stafford to one of the quarterbacks in the draft?

Saints – Sean Payton is said to want to work with Jameis Winston, but if he could have Stafford instead, that would be tempting.

Texans – Deshaun Watson wants a trade. Houston could send him to Detroit and would at least get a good quarterback in return. They problem is neither player might be willing to go to the other team.

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