Lions' Matthew Stafford: Selling House Isn't Related to Wanting to Leave Team

Matthew Stafford put his Detroit-area house on the market in May, but that doesn't mean he plans on leaving the Lions. 

"It has nothing to do with my tenure here or how long I've been here, how long I want to be here," Stafford told reporters Wednesday. "I don't know how many times I got to tell you guys I want to be here as long as I can. But it has nothing to do with that, I promise."

Stafford said the house, which has a listing price of $6.5 million, has not been sold. 

The decision to put the house on the market created natural comparisons to Tom Brady, who put his New England-area home up for sale last year. At the time, Brady denied it was related to him potentially leaving the Patriots. He's now a Buccaneer.

While Stafford and Brady may not have a direct parallel—he is under contract for two more seasons, rather than becoming a free agent—it is possible his time in Detroit is nearing an end.

Stafford is coming off an injury-riddled 2019, and the Lions enter this season with a win-now mandate from ownership. If the Lions struggle to compete in 2020, they may look to undergo a full-scale rebuild that doesn't include Stafford. The Lions would save about $14 million on their 2021 cap if they traded Stafford after this season. They would likely do so before the fifth day of the 2021 league year, when Stafford's contract calls for a $10 million roster bonus.

Still just 32 years old and productive when healthy, Stafford would probably be worth a first- or second-round pick on the trade market if he gets through this season unscathed.