Matthew Stafford Trade Rumors: Latest on Colts, 49ers and Texans

The Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Football Team and Houston Texans are believed to be potential trade suitors for Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. 

The Lions reportedly will "honor" Stafford's trade request by "exploring options for the quarterback on the market."

Fowler believes the Lions could get a solid trade package in return for Stafford, but nothing like the three or more first-round picks it might take to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans if he's indeed traded. Bringing aboard the 32-year-old would make the most sense for teams in position to win immediately who have solid rosters but questions at quarterback. 

The Colts fit that description perfectly, as they'll look to replace the retiring Philip Rivers and build on their 2020 postseason appearance. As Fowler reported, Indianapolis "is a spot Stafford most definitely has his eyes on."

"Makes a lot of sense, which is why the Colts will really look into making this work," an NFC executive added.

As for the Niners, well, they still have Jimmy Garoppolo under contract, with Fowler noting that "when you ask people around the league for potential fits for Stafford, San Francisco almost always comes up." Stafford would be an upgrade over Garoppolo, though the latter has gone 24-9 as the team's starter, leading them to the Super Bowl last season. 

Having to give up assets to acquire Stafford while giving up on Garoppolo in the process makes the Niners feel like a less realistic suitor than the Colts. 

Washington would make a lot of sense given an intriguing young roster that reached the postseason this year, albeit with a 7-9 record. Stafford would be an enormous upgrade at quarterback, with Fowler noting Washington is expected to shop around for quarterback help this offseason. 

"I think they'll at least explore it," an executive told Fowler regarding a potential trade for Stafford.

And hey, if the Texans do eventually trade Watson, they'll need to replace him, with one NFC executive suggesting to Fowler that pursuing Stafford might make sense in such a scenario. It would be a downgrade, however, especially for a Texans team that might be better off rebuilding from scratch if they trade Watson. 

If Houston moves its superstar quarterback for a slew of draft picks, it should consider drafting a young franchise option and building around that player rather than looking for the quick band-aid of a veteran like Stafford. 

Stafford threw for 4,084 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2020, completing 64.2 percent of his passes. It was his fifth season with at least 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.