The Detroit Lions made an effort to work with Matthew Stafford to trade him to the team of his choice, and it sounds like that is exactly what they did when they agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Lions had offers for Stafford from numerous teams. Albert Breer of The MMQB detailed many of them, and they all included some combination of high draft picks and/or starting-caliber players. As many as eight teams reached out to Detroit about Stafford and a handful made formal offers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Stafford was solely focused on playing for the Rams. Schefter said on “Get Up!” Monday morning that it was the “lure of Sean McVay and Los Angeles that made him want to go play there.”
More information about the #Rams–#Lions trade via @AdamSchefter
Says Stafford wanted to play for Sean McVay in LA.
He didn't want to go to #Broncos, #Bears, #Panthers, #WFT, etc…pic.twitter.com/FAHZMgVxWX
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 1, 2021
Stafford spent 12 seasons with the Lions. While the team fell short of expectations during that span, Stafford has played through significant injuries and been one of the toughest players in the NFL. It is no surprise Detroit accommodated his request, though the return from the Rams certainly made that easy to do.
A report on Sunday claimed Stafford was open to playing for any team except this one. In reality, it sounds like the Rams were his clear preference.
Photo: A Healthier Michigan/Flickr via cc-by-sa 2.0
