Matthew Stafford reportedly ‘likes Indianapolis better than any other’

According to 710 ESPN Seattle’s John Clayton on 107.5 The Fan’s ‘The Ride with JMV’, he’s hearing that the Indianapolis Colts may very well be the preferred trade destination of recently made available Detroit Lions franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford:

“Indianapolis. That’s the team from what I gather Matthew Stafford likes,” Clayton said on Wednesday. “He likes it better than any other.”

“So, I think he’s kind of in the same mind as Jim Irsay and also he knows Jacob Eason, because they both have some roots in Georgia. Not as far as where Stafford grew up, but I think right now the worry you have is Carolina going to make a big offer? I don’t know if they’ll give up the 8th pick in the draft. Washington has the 19th pick in the first round, and they’re going to be in the bidding. San Francisco is going to be in the bidding.”

“I know I said it was going to be Washington because I think they have more clout right now than the Colts, but I think ultimately Stafford has a great chance to come to Indianapolis.”

The former first overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft is fresh off another productive season in which he completed 339 of 528 pass attempts (64.2%) for 4,084 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a passer rating of 96.3 during all 16 starts.

The Lions’ all-time leading franchise passer ranks first in career completions (3,898), first in passing yards (45,109), and first in touchdowns (282) respectively.

He’s made 165 starts for Detroit over his 12-year career.

At 6’3”, 220 pounds, featuring a cannon of an arm and some mobility, Stafford would provide the Colts a dynamic upgrade at the starting quarterback position for the 2021 season and going forward—as the soon-to-be 33 year old figures to have at least a handful of highly productive seasons still left.

With an incredibly live arm, Stafford can make the type of big-time throws that can simply win football games—with the unique ability to fit footballs through tight windows, rifle it past opposing coverage, or execute athletic throws (and from altered platforms) while under pressure or duress.

He consistently wasn’t surrounded with a strong supporting cast in Detroit—as he largely lacked a reliable running game, strong offensive line, and competent defense to back him up respectively.

Stafford should get all three facets upgraded in Indianapolis—while also playing in Colts head coach Frank Reich’s quarterback-friendly offense. He could very well see an uptick in production while playing for a more well-rounded Indianapolis team.

There’s no denying the ideal fit right now between both Stafford and the Colts—and the timing is quite perfect to say the least regarding Indianapolis’ suddenly vacant quarterback opening on a ‘built to win now’, potential Super Bowl contender.

It’s just a matter of whether the Colts can beat out the expected heavy competition among Stafford’s other potential trade suitors—with ultimately the winning offer of draft picks—which the price isn’t projected to be cheap.