I've never been a Matt Stafford fan while also admiring his toughness, but that may be because he's been stuck with a terrible franchise his entire career. He definitely has the talent to lead a team deep into the playoffs so hopefully he'll get that chance now:
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said the Lions and Matthew Stafford have agreed to part ways this offseason.
It appears the team won't fight to keep Stafford aboard for a full rebuild. Pelissero reports Stafford and the team made a mutual decision that the Lions would trade away their franchise QB this offseason after 12 seasons. QB-needy teams like the 49ers, Washington, Panthers, Colts, Jets, and Broncos will probably show interest in acquiring Stafford, though the Lions' price isn't known. Stafford has two years and $43 million left on his contract, "a bargain price for a quarterback who is still playing at a high level," Pelissero said. Stafford will be a marked upgrade for the pass catchers on whichever team he lands on this offseason. Detroit is (very) likely to use their No. 7 NFL draft pick to select Stafford's successor, and perhaps move up even further to secure one of the draft's top signal callers. The trade would likely happen before the fifth day of the 2021 league year in March, when Stafford is due a $10 million roster bonus.