Matthew Stafford is set to be traded from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams by Jared Goff in one of the first blockbuster negotiations in the off-season of 2021.
Several teams were interested in Stafford, as coach Dan Campbell told the Detroit Free Press that the market for the quarterback was “hot and heavy”. But apparently there was a team that Stafford refused to go to: The New England Patriots.
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Stafford did not want to play for the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick, NBC Sports Boston reported on Sunday. The quarterback would also have met with coach Matt Patricia, who returned to the Patriots team in the off-season months after being fired by the Lions.
Patricia’s presence at the Patriots “was probably not a selling point,” according to the report.
MATTHEW STAFFORD, JARED GOFF INVOLVED IN THE BLOCKBUSTER TRADE BETWEEN LIONS AND RAMS: REPORT
The Lions-Rams trade has not yet been officially announced. ESPN reported the deal on Saturday night.
Detroit chose Stafford first in the 2009 draft. He has been with the Lions ever since and has only taken them to the playoffs three times. He recorded 45,109 passing yards and 282 touchdowns during his career.
In 2020, Stafford played in all 16 games for the first time since 2018. He had 4,084 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes along with 10 interceptions. Detroit finished 5-11 and lost the playoffs.
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Stafford reportedly spoke with general manager Brad Holmes and Campbell before expressing his desire to leave Lions.