Matthew Stafford feels like he was a disappointment for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions traded Stafford, who is the greatest passer in Detroit history, this past offseason to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and draft picks after. How does the star quarterback feel about his time in Detroit? He thinks he didn’t meet expectations. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Detroit is dealing QB Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two future first-round picks, a third-round pick and QB Jared Goff, per sources. Two former No. 1 overall picks trading places in the first blockbuster NFL trade of 2021.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2021
Stafford told Peter King the following when asked if he feels like he let the Lions down:
Definitely. I sit there and go, ‘Man, I wish I could’ve gotten it done.’ I mean, it would’ve been amazing to have a Super Bowl parade down Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Didn’t happen. Tough pill to swallow as a competitor and somebody who touches the ball on every single offensive play. You definitely look back and wish you’d done a few things different here or there in some games, that maybe change the outcomes of seasons, but I’m focused completely forward now.
Let me be the first person to say that Stafford 100% didn’t let the Lions down. He didn’t disappoint Detroit fans at all.
Oftentimes, he was the lone bright spot on the team. Some of the talent he was surrounded by at times was laughably bad.
If anything, the Lions let down Stafford. If anything, the Lions didn’t live up to their end of the deal. Not the other way around.
ALL 56 TD PASSES FROM MATTHEW STAFFORD TO CALVIN JOHNSON REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES 🥲pic.twitter.com/A9UlTYDtMI
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 23, 2021
Outside of Calvin Johnson, Stafford rarely had the legit talent he needed to have in order to win in the NFL. Yet, he went out there week after week and competed the best he could.
The idea that he disappointed is just not true.
#FBF: Remember when Matthew Stafford separated his shoulder against the Browns in 2009, then came back in and threw the game winning touchdown? Gutsy. Still one of the greatest Mic’d Up moments!
Stafford finished with 422 yards & 5 TDs! #Lions pic.twitter.com/skVvVoqA7c
— Four Verts 🏈 (@FourVerticals_) May 8, 2020
Now, he’s with the Rams, and I hope like hell he finds a ton of success. Nothing would make me happier than seeing him after a great season with Sean McVay in Los Angeles. It’s just a damn shame Detroit never gave him the tools needed to win.