Report: Stafford is available if Washington wants to gets him originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Upgrading quarterback is a priority for the Washington Football Team this offseason, and on Saturday night, major news came out involving one option who'd absolutely help them accomplish that goal.
With Detroit starting over at both head coach and general manager, they're preparing to open trade talks for Matt Stafford, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero says any deal would "likely" happen before the fifth day of the 2021 league year, which is in March.
ESPN's Adam Schefter believes those discussions will actually commence this week.
The Burgundy and Gold will no doubt evaluate Stafford's fit — and thanks to a recent hire in the front office, they have a serious connection to him, too.
Martin Mayhew, Washington's new GM, was a part of the Lions when they drafted Stafford first overall in 2009. Mayhew held that role until 2015, so he knows the QB more than most. Ron Rivera might be texting the executive about Stafford right now.
So, the club has a very obvious need at the position and plenty of intel on the guy who'll turn just 33 years old in February. As if that wasn't enough, Stafford's contract still has two seasons and $43 million left on it, which is quite affordable for an upper-tier signal caller these days.
In terms of what it'd take to get him, that much is still unknown. What is known, though, is that it'll be less compensation than any swap for Deshaun Watson.
Therefore, if Washington doesn't want to ship away 14 first-round picks and nine different players for Watson, they could come up with a package for Stafford. He'll require a haul — don't think he won't — but it won't compare to a potential Watson trade.
Rivera has a defense that is, roughly, one or two contributing pieces away from being a top-of-the-sport caliber group. Pairing Stafford with that unit could have a tremendous impact on the organization's future. Let's see if he's willing to be the aggressor.
