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Matthew Stafford to Aaron Donald – who says no? The Rams, apparently.
Lions acquired a couple of choices in the first round, as did quarterback Jared Goff in Matthew Stafford’s negotiation on January 31, but Detroit’s initial offer to the Rams was even greater.
Detroit reportedly asked to host Aaron Donald, three-time Defense Player of the Year, in exchange for Stafford, according to ESPN Adam Schefter. And while we don’t know the exact reaction to Detroit’s request, we can assume that there was a fair amount of laughter on the other end of the line.
All the respect for Stafford, but negotiating with Donald for the veteran quarterback would have been totally catastrophic for Los Angeles. Donald is widely considered the best defensive player in football, with all three Defensive Player of the Year awards won over the past four seasons. The Pittsburgh product ended 2020 with 13.5 bags and four forced fumbles, marking its fourth consecutive double-digit bag campaign. The only game that Rams’ elite defense faltered in the playoff loss to the Packers was when Donald played due to a rib injury sustained the week before. Far from being at full strength, Donald needed frequent cuts on the sides to catch his breath, as the broken cartilage in his ribs made it difficult to breathe in the sub-zero temperatures of Green Bay.
Detroit deserves at least a little mockery for its persecution of Donald, but, in the end, Lions took out a page from NFL Negotiating 101: It never hurts to ask. Perhaps the Eagles or the Jets will adopt a similar attitude, as they will be able to negotiate with their respective starting quarterbacks in the coming weeks.
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