Quarterback Matthew Stafford currently has the Lions over a contractual barrel. Whether he receives another huge contract or goes year-to-year and makes more than $100 million from 2018 through 2020 obscures the question of how good he really is, in comparison to other quarterbacks.
Appearing on Monday’s PFT Live, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms put Stafford at No. 3 in the league behind Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
The notion of Stafford being that good in relation to the other great quarterbacks seems surprising at first blush. But if he’s not No. 3, who is? Drew Brees, arguably. Maybe Ben Roethlisberger. Matt Ryan possibly. Cam Newton or Russell Wilson? Perhaps. Andrew Luck isn’t healthy, and who knows when he will be.
It’s really not crazy to put Stafford in that category. Yes, he hasn’t won a playoff game. But he’s taken a chronically based Lions team to the postseason three times since 2011, and whether a team thrives isn’t solely determined by quarterback play.
Weigh in below with your thoughts. Ultimately, it’s not going to matter to his next contract, because the Lions won’t be letting him walk until they can find someone as good or better. And whoever is as good or better than Stafford simply isn’t and won’t be available.