After decades of mediocrity, the Detroit Lions have finally begun to field a legitimate unit. However, their playoff victory drought over the years cost them Matthew Stafford, the best quarterback in franchise history.
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The highest career earner in NFL history is far removed from the title-starved Lions now. Stafford was drafted by the Lions in 2009, and he stayed with them till 2020, before joining the Los Angeles Rams.
Considering that he won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2021, and the Lions were able to return to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1991 during the 2023 playoffs, his departure has worked out well for both parties. But why did things not work out for Stafford in Detroit?
During his tenure, Stafford was repeatedly blamed for much of the team’s deficits. That created such a negative reputation that fans even now wonder if he deserves to be the highest-paid quarterback in the league. However, a case can also be made in Stafford’s defense.
The constant regime changes at the franchise and the inability of the front office to find a running back who could aid the offense limited Stafford and the team’s success. This makes former NFL scout John Middlekauff believe that Detroit wasted Stafford’s prime.
“In the prime of his career, he was on a dog sh*t team and it was difficult to evaluate him as a great player. We knew he was a great talent. But the Lions were not the Dan Campbell Lions, they were a joke,” said Middlekauff.
“And now, we get to see him in his latter years on a good team with a good organization, and the team’s really good and he’s really good,” he added on 3 and Out.
Asserting that “Stafford has one of the greatest arms of all time,” the scout-turned-podcast host believes that age is the only issue that could potentially slow down the quarterback. The 16-year NFL veteran turned 37 years old a few months back.
Since Stafford had a quarterback record of 74-90-1 during his 12 years in Detroit, Middlekauff’s assessment of how poor the Lions were is more than fair.
In 2022, Jim Costa, the 97.1 FM Radio host, took to X and called out the Lions for mistreating Stafford. According to him, Stafford was unfairly blamed for his team’s shortcomings. Many had believed the franchise needed a stronger, younger, and more efficient quarterback.
This was pointed out by a viewer, who asked Middlekauff to compare Stafford to one of the league’s younger sensations, Joe Burrow.
“There’s like a ten-year age gap. Stafford is on hole 17 or 18 of his career. I mean hell, he’s literally going year to year right now. I think if Stafford was at the same age, and both of them are 27 or 28 years old, in the prime of their career[s], playing for the Rams and the Bengals, I think we would talk about Stafford differently,” explained Middlekauff.
Despite enjoying the greener pastures of L.A. football, Stafford has been appreciative of the time he spent in Detroit. After discovering that a fan had recently sold their autographed jersey to help finance a trip to see the Lions compete in the playoffs, he did his best to make things right.
Bryson Machonga, a 34-year-old Lions fan from Appleton, Wisconsin, received the gift of a lifetime: a game-worn, autographed jersey from Stafford himself. The heartwarming gesture showed that, despite being booed every time he visits Ford Field, Stafford still has love for the city that hosted him all those years ago.
Stafford continues to prepare for the upcoming 2025 season with the Rams, hoping to avenge his divisional-round playoff loss to the champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
This will be the 17th season of Stafford’s career, and potentially the last. This means fans should try and cherish his appearances all the more.
