Report: Matthew Stafford and Lions will part ways

Teams often enter offseasons with uncertain situations involving their franchise quarterbacks — look no further than the 2021 Los Angeles Rams — but usually those situations work themselves out and no significant changes are made. That does not appear to be the case with the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is reporting that Stafford and the Lions have mutually agreed to part ways this year. Should the Rams pursue?

The Lions recently hired Brad Holmes to be their general manager, plucking him away from the Rams after he spent nearly two decades in the organization. The relationship between Holmes and the Rams, including his familiarity with quarterback Jared Goff, does make the connection between Detroit and Los Angeles that much more intriguing when it comes to potential trades.

Stafford, almost 33, is entering the fourth year of a five-year deal that he signed in 2017. The contract pays him only a $9.5 million base salary in 2021, but with a $10 million roster bonus in 2021 and 2022. Stafford has a $12.5 million base salary in 2022, but his salary is not guaranteed. The former number one pick missed eight games in 2019, but those are the only games he has missed since the beginning of the 2011 season.

Stafford had 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2020.

Goff, 26, is entering the first year of a four-year, $134 million extension he signed in 2019 and he will be much more difficult to trade. However, any deal acquiring Stafford would surely correspond to a move expelling Goff. It’s been nearly six years since the Rams traded Sam Bradford and a fifth round pick to the Eagles for Nick Foles, a second rounder and a fourth rounder.

Should the Rams make a deal for Stafford, they will get seven years older at the position and be in a worse financial situation for 2021 than they already are. But will they be better at the quarterback position ... to the point of seriously competing for a Super Bowl again?

That’s a question that I’m sure Les Snead and Sean McVay have already been pondering.

Which is a different poll question than ...