As 49 people assess the future of their quarterback status, a new name pops up: Matthew Stafford.
The longtime Detroit Lions quarterback may be looking for a new home, or the Lions may be trying to get smaller in this se fiss position. 49 people are in the same boat with the existing QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Lions fired coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn on Saturday. The new regime in Detroit could very well bring a new QB and start a new chapter.
So, what about Stafford for the 49ers? One coach believes there will be a match made in heaven for Stafford and coach Kyle Shanahan.
“They will win the Super Bowl,” the offensive coach told Athletic’s Mike Sando. “Stafford will eventually be in a real organization. He will turn to Schnahan and that crime because he has such a history of success with the system.
“And Stafford would have known he didn’t get stuck in the head all the time like Detroit.”
Stafford, 32, has completed 63.2 percent of his passes this season. He has 2,876 pass yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games this season. The former No. 1 overall draft pick also has a 92.7 quarterback rating and 61.5 QBR.
In August 2017, the Lions locked Stafford into a five-year, 13 5,135 million contract. Detroit is technically out of Stafford’s contract after the 2020 season, but it will be an expensive one. If the Lions release Stafford after the season, it will cost .8 24.85 million in Dead Cap. That’s the case if they trade it, and it will be the highest in NFL history.
But the Lions will really save money if they go beyond Stafford. They will not take on more than 40 million Staffords of Best Salary and Roster Bonus in the next two seasons.
Will the 49ers be ready to continue that?
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The 49ers have their long list of free agents to succeed in the open market this season. The real question is whether 49 people will see Stafford as an upgrade over Garoppolo or a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft?
San Francisco, while healthy, has the potential to win the Super Bowl. And that’s also with all those players they can lose free agency. Geropolo is three years younger than Stafford and has his own contract status that requires 49 people to be supported. He also led 49 players to the Super Bowl last season, and was a few minutes away from winning it all. Shanahan has said he expects Garoppolo to be his starting QB in 2021, but he has also seen his flaws.
Stafford is not very efficient, and never has been. What he has is what Garoppolo lacks, however, he has the ability to lengthen the field with his right hand. While throwing the ball to Debo Samuel and having fun letting it be the beast, imagine a quarterback who could hit Brandon Ayuk down the side. Stafford’s arm strength will soon be an upgrade.
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The 49ers may not be in a position to draft one of the top three or four quarterbacks in the draft next year. But they will be ready to move on from Garoppolo. Which puts them in a difficult position. Is Stafford the answer?
We’ll see how much Shanhan and general manager John Lynch really trust Jimmy G if a giant like Stafford isn’t available this season.
