DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 13: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions looks on during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 13, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
The Broncos and Colts reportedly both had interest in landing Matthew Stafford.
NFL fans knew Matthew Stafford was going to be traded at some point this offseason. That still didn’t make the news of his trade to Los Angeles any less shocking in the moment.
The Rams won the Stafford sweepstakes by sending two first-round picks and Jared Goff to Detroit. The Lions were clearly asking a lot, and the Rams did enough to beat out other suitors like the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
Broncos and Colts miss out on Stafford
As Peter King notes, the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers also had interest.
The Colts were one of the obvious Stafford suitors. Philip Rivers announced his retirement, and the team has made it clear it is seeking a quarterback with experience.
The Broncos are more interesting because Drew Lock was supposed to be the answer in 2020. He proceeded to struggle in 2020 with 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He now remains the starter in Denver, at least for now.
Both the Broncos and Colts may now be calling the Houston Texans to figure out what it would take to land Deshaun Watson. Or maybe they ask the Philadelphia Eagles about Carson Wentz. Showing interest in Stafford means they aren’t just going to stop looking around because he is no longer available.
The Panthers, 49ers and Broncos are all teams looking for an upgrade at quarterback, while the Colts are seeking to replace a retired Rivers. More teams are in the Watson rumors, and it will be fascinating to see if teams like the Colts or Broncos would send years’ worth of top draft capital and young core talent to Houston in exchange for Watson. Neither team apparently felt strongly enough about Stafford to out-bid the Rams.