When ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted out that quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions were headed for a divorce in the offseason, Chicago Bears fans immediately started thinking “what if” should the team be able to acquire him. Stafford has put up monster numbers during his time in Detroit, with 4,000+ passing yards in eight of his twelve seasons with the team. Now everyone’s eyes will be on Stafford and where he ends up to take his first snap in 2021. There are a plethora of teams that will be lining up to sign the 32-year-old QB, who unfortunately has seen many losing seasons in his career with the Lions. Of course, much of that was not his fault, as the Lions have always been run by incompetent owners who have no idea how to win consistently or hire someone who does. Sound familiar, Bear fans? Bovada, a respected sportsbook in Las Vegas, has the San Francisco 49ers as the favorites to land the former Pro-Bowler, along with other teams like the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and of course, the Bears.
Odds for what team Matthew Stafford will be on for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season (Bovada):
49ers +325
Broncos +450
Colts +450
Lions +550
Patriots +500
Washington +650
Panthers +900
Raiders +1000
Rams +1100
Texans +1200— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) January 27, 2021
As you can see, the Bears aren’t even listed in the top 10 teams right now, which means that Vegas sees the Bears as a very big longshot to employ Stafford next season. Let’s dive into a few of these teams that have a good shot at him, and take a look at the Bears odds as well to see if there is any value there.
San Francisco 49ers (+325)
This is a no brainer spot for Stafford. A healthy 49ers squad would easily be the best team that Stafford has been on in his career, and with his best head coach too. Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind that would get the best out of what Stafford has left to offer. Shanahan and GM John Lynch seemed pretty sure Jimmy Garoppolo would be the starting QB next season for the team but definitely left the door open for a change. The 49ers are an organization that is in “win-now” mode, and getting an All-Pro in his prime years would go a long way towards getting back to the Super Bowl.
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Jimmy G will cost the Niners $26.9 million against the salary cap next season should he stay in San Fran. Trading or releasing the QB would net the 49ers only $2.8 million in dead money, so a move like that would be ideal for them to bring in Stafford.
Stafford would certainly be an upgrade over Jimmy G. While both have had durability concerns over their careers, it’s been the former Lion’s QB who has remained healthier recently. We’ll have to see what they decide to do.
Indianapolis Colts (+450)
Surprisingly, the Colts are not the favorite to land Stafford right now. With Phillip Rivers retiring, they are in the market for a starting QB to complement their talented team. They are coming off an 11-5 season and have loads of talent on both sides of the ball. This would also allow Stafford to play his home games inside a dome, which he did for his entire career in Detroit, and adds a level of comfortability. Colts GM Chris Ballard confirmed that the team will explore all options at the QB position and that the position is “never leaves my mind.” The former Detroit QB would be the perfect fit in Indianapolis, and the Lions would have the opportunity to trade him out of the conference.
New England Patriots (+500)
With the Cam Newton experiment finally over in New England after one painful year, the Pats find themselves once again looking for Tom Brady’s successor. They have the 15th overall pick in the upcoming draft, but also have nine other picks, with three compensatory picks between the third and fourth rounds. They also have a significant amount of cap room to work with, which helps in their pursuit of Stafford, being able to easily absorb his contract. Bill Belichick himself has sung high praises of Stafford in the past.
“He does an excellent job of seeing down the field in all situations. No matter how much pressure he’s under, he seems to find guys down there. Sometimes it appears that they’re covered, but he can put the ball where (Marvin) Jones in particular, but also (Kenny) Golladay, can go up and make plays on the ball.”
“He’s very accurate and he’s got a strong arm. He can stand in there and make those throws, with or without a rush, in or out of the pocket, stationary or on the run. He’s extremely dangerous – one of the very best in the league for sure.”
Stafford would be paired up with the greatest coach of all time to utilize his skills, which would most likely result in more victories than he has seen in years.
Chicago Bears (+2200)
At +2200, the Bears are an extreme long shot to get Stafford. The Lion’s almost certainly wouldn’t trade him inside their own division unless they had out of this world offers. The Bears may just offer them that, as they are a team that has been absolutely abysmal at the position for pretty much their entire franchise history. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are also trying to save their jobs, and the only way they do that is by landing a franchise QB. Keep an eye on the Bears number here, as we will be able to tell just how desperate Pace is to get a real QB. There are many different numbers at different sportsbooks, so make sure to shop around to get the best number if you want to put a little down on Stafford being a Bear.
