Could Matthew Stafford's tenure with the Detroit Lionsbe in jeopardy this offseason?
On Thursday, Stafford made it clear he would prefer to remain in Detroit.
"I think there's something special about a guy getting a chance to play his entire career in one place," Stafford said, via the Lions' official website."Not many guys get to do that these days. I would love to be one of those guys."
Whether the Lions collectively feel the same way is the bigger question, and Stafford's name coming up as an offseason move doesn't surprise when considering his 2018 campaign. Matt Patricia, for his part, doesn't see Stafford going anywhere.
"We're in a situation where Matt Stafford's our quarterback," Patricia said Friday. "That's what it is. I think the world of the guy."
Stafford, who signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension in August 2017, enters the season finale against the Green Bay Packers with 3,511 yards passing and 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions for an 88.7 passer rating. His previous low in yards passing in a full 16-game schedule is 4,257 in 2014, and his current passer rating represents the lowest since the same year (85.7).
The Lions' offense has been especially bad over the past month, failing to top 20 points in five straight games. Injuries on offense during that span have played a role, but Stafford has 425 total yards passing in the past three games, an average of just 141.6 yards per contest, in a season where a lot has gone wrong en route to a 5-10 record.
"Just haven't made as many big plays," Stafford said. "I think that's a big part of it. Just haven't done a good enough job executing in the passing game, for me. So, I can always play better and find ways to be better, for sure."
The coming months will provide hints as to whether the Lions are confident their franchise quarterback can turn around from a bad season.
Stafford, who turns 31 in February, has four years remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2017 and will make a base salary of $13.5 million in 2019.
