Matthew Stafford Profile
In 2008, the Lions started John Kitna, Daunte Culpepper, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton at quarterback, as the team raced toward the worst record in the history of professional football. Teams had failed to tally any wins in seasons prior to 2008, but the Lions were the first team to lose 16 games, after the league expanded from 14 games in 1978.
Securing the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Lions had to choose between the two top quarterback prospects; Stafford, from the University of Georgia, and the University of Southern California’s Mark Sanchez. The Lions chose the former Bulldog over the former Trojan, as Sanchez slipped to the fifth overall pick, where he was selected by the New York Jets.
Stafford was named the starting quarterback for the 2009 season over veteran Daunte Culpepper, making him the first rookie to start the season at quarterback for the Lions since Greg Landry in 1968. Stafford’s rookie campaign saw him lead the Lions to their first victory since 2007 in Week 3.
One could argue the most defining moment of Stafford’s rookie season was also the most defining moment of his career. In a Week 11 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, Stafford became the youngest player in NFL history to pass for five touchdowns. After suffering a separation in his non-throwing shoulder, and against advice from team doctors, Stafford mustered the strength to return to the game, tossing the game-winning touchdown pass to fellow rookie Brandon Pettigrew.
Stafford started the first three games of the 2010 season before he was forced to have surgery on his throwing shoulder for an AC joint repair and clavicle shaving.
In 2011, his first full professional season, Stafford put up the best numbers of his career. As one of three quarterbacks that season (Tom Brady and Drew Brees) to pass the 5,000-yard passing mark, Stafford led Detroit to its first playoff appearance since 1999, with a record of 10-6 (good enough for a Wildcard spot). He finished the season with 5,038 yards, 41 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions; he also posted a career-high 97.2 quarterback rating. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate and the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year.
Stafford struggled in his first-ever playoff matchup and threw two interceptions, as the Lions fell to the New Orleans Saints 45-28.
Stafford had a down year in 2012, finishing with just 20 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 79.8. There were some positives, however, as Stafford set an NFL record with 4,967 yards on 727 attempts. He also posted a career-high 126 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
2013 began with a contract extension for Stafford, a three-year deal worth $53 million and $41.5 million guaranteed through the 2017 season, but the Lions had a rough year. After starting 5-3, the Lions slipped to 7-9 and head coach Jim Schwartz was fired at the end of the season. Stafford passed for 4,650 yards and 29 touchdowns with 19 interceptions.
Jim Caldwell, who had been the offensive coordinator with the Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens, was named the head coach of the Lions heading into the 2014 season. Detroit posted an 11-5 record and made the playoffs as a sixth seed, in a huge turnaround for the team. Stafford had 4,257 passing yards, throwing 22 touchdowns and 12 picks. He was named to his first Pro Bowl (replacing an injured Peyton Manning) and won MVP honors for his performance in the game.
In his second-career playoff game, Stafford passed for 323 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Lions, however, blew a 20-7 lead against the Dallas Cowboys and saw their playoff hopes dashed for the second time in four years.
2015 saw Detroit go 7-9, Jim Bob Cooter was named the interim offensive coordinator after the Lions fired Joe Lombardi. Stafford tossed 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, with 4,262 yards and a quarterback rating of 61.1.
In 2016, the Lions bounced back, and Stafford threw for over 4,000 yards for the sixth consecutive season. In the first quarter of a New Year’s Day game against the Green Bay Packers, Stafford connected with wide receiver Golden Tate for 17 yards to become the fastest player to reach 30,000 career passing yards. The 29-year-old accomplished his feat in just 109 games, breaking the record set by Miami Dolphins’ legend Dan Marino in 1990, and met by 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Warner in 2009, both of whom reached the mark in 114 games.
Stafford had guided the Lions to an 8-4 record prior to a Week 14 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Late in the first quarter of the game, Stafford’s throwing hand was hit by Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd. The quarterback tried to shake it off, but he had dislocated the tip of his middle finger and was forced to wear a glove for the remainder of the game, and subsequently through the end of the season.
In the Bears game, Stafford scrambled for a seven-yard touchdown with just three minutes left to play, putting the Lions up 20-17. It was his eighth fourth quarter comeback victory of the season (25th of his career), breaking a record set by quarterback Peyton Manning, who had seven such comeback victories in 2009 (Manning’s record was met by his brother Eli in 2011 and Oakland’s Derek Carr in 2016).
Despite early MVP consideration, Stafford was never the same player after the injury to his hand. He finished the year with 4,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Detroit lost the final three games of the regular season and fell 26-6 against the Seattle Seahawks on Wild Card weekend.
Stafford signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension with the Detroit Lions on Aug. 28, 2017. In the first game of the season, Stafford went 29-of-41 for 292 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in a 35-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. In the second game, a 24-10 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, Stafford threw for his 193rd touchdown, overtaking Bob Griese on the all-time list for passing touchdowns. He threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns, as the Lions moved to 2-0 on the season.
