Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford left the franchise in March of 2021 and went on to win a Super Bowl with his new team, the Los Angeles Rams, that year. So, would Stafford ever come back to Detroit to finished out his career with the Lions?
It’s an idea that sounds wild at first, but some in the NFL truly believe this could and should happen. It’s worth noting, of course, that Stafford is in a cozy spot with the Rams. He just lead the team to the NFC Championship game on Sunday, January 25, which the Rams lost to the Seattle Seahawks with a 31-27 final score.
So, things are rosy for him with the Los Angeles Rams, if he makes the retirement decision to stay with the team for the 2026-27 season. But, what if he were to come back to the Detroit Lions to round out his NFL career?
Matthew Stafford Could Return to the Detroit Lions
In a Sunday, February 1, feature for the Detroit Free Press, Carlos Monarrez makes the case that Stafford and his family should pack their bags and come back to the Detroit Lions.
In the piece, he makes the statement that Stafford should absolutely “be preparing to play in the Super Bowl.” He adds that Stafford has solid numbers in the Rams’ NFC Championship loss and that “a ring and an MVP award would be the crowning achievements in a long and storied career that began 17 years ago in Detroit.”
So, let’s talk money. Last offseason, the Los Angeles Rams gave Stafford a $26 million raise over two years after they let look at trade possibilities. He’ll probably want more this year. Stafford also has one year left on his contract that will pay him $40 million in 2026, according to research from Over the Cap, making him the No. 11 highest-paid quarterback for 2026.
“If this leads to another negotiating impasse between Stafford and the Rams, then things could get interesting for the rest of the NFL,” Monarrez says, adding that he means the Lions.
“The more I watched Stafford this year – in person during the Lions’ loss to the Rams in December and throughout the playoffs on TV – the more I was convinced the Lions would have easily made the playoffs with him this season,” he adds in the piece. “He constantly bought himself more time by scrambling and also made great throws outside the pocket.”
Finally, Monarrez begs the question, “Wouldn’t it be poetic if, all these years after the Lions made one of the franchise’s boldest moves by letting Stafford leave, they made an even bolder move by bringing him back?”
Would Matthew Staffed Really Come to Detroit?
Before the Rams played the Lions on December 14, 2025, Stafford said that he was happy in Los Angeles.
“Obviously, I’m happy to be where I am, and I feel like the Lions obviously have capitalized on a lot of the picks and players that they were able to acquire in that trade,” Stafford said before the game. “Their franchise is as good as it’s been, ever, in the last handful of years.”
Stafford added of his trade from the Lions to the Rams, “So, two successful teams, really good coaches, good football programs at the moment, and, yeah, it looks like one that both sides got what they were looking for out of it. And I think as time goes on, we’ll keep looking back on it saying the same thing because it seems to have worked out for both teams.”
So, that doesn’t sound like someone wanting to come back to the Detroit Lions. But, stranger things have happened.
5 Keys for Detroit Lions to Contend for Super Bowl in 2026
It is officially Super Bowl week in the NFL.
The ensuing week will feature plenty of storylines and excitement ahead of the final game of the 2025 season, with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots squaring off with the Lombardi Trophy on the line on Sunday.
As the game unfolds, the Detroit Lions will be among the teams trying to chart a course to get back into the mix in 2026. After an underwhelming season in 2025, general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell will be looking to get back to the playoffs after missing for the first time since 2022.
Here are five keys for the Lions to get back into the mix of Super Bowl contenders in the 2026 season.
Stabilize offensive line
The Lions need to get back to being a team that is built around a successful offensive line. Though Penei Sewell was an All-Pro selection in 2026, the unit as a whole struggled after longtime center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement.
Ragnow tried to come back late in the year, but ultimately was unable to after he failed his physical with a Grade 3 hamstring strain. It was Graham Glasgow’s show for most of the year, but Kingsley Eguakun also got an opportunity to start late in the year. Eguakun was signed by the Cleveland Browns prior to the regular season finale.
If the Lions are going to get back to the top tier, they’ll need to sure up the uncertainty on the offensive line. A big decision looms with Taylor Decker uncertain to return for another season, while the interior offensive line has questions of its own.
Detroit could help themselves greatly by finding an answer to their center question, and an offseason of growth from Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge could stabilize the guard position. A return to form from the offensive line could settle the storm and lead to more consistency for the offense as a whole.
Stay healthy
Health has been a huge part of the Lions’ downfall each of the last two years. In 2024, the Lions managed to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed despite having as many as 20 players on injured reserve, and suffered plenty more significant injuries in 2025 but were unable to overcome them in such a way.
Part of avoiding the injury bug is certainly luck, which has not been on the Lions’ side in this area over the last two seasons. However, some believe the team may need to tone down the intensity at practices to avoid further risk of injury.
Regardless of what is leading to these sometimes fluky injuries, the Lions at their best are dangerous and as a result the injuries have hindered their full potential. Better injury luck and overall health will certainly help Detroit in its quest for contention next season.
Goff leads the way
Though the offense’s success starts and ends with the performance of the offensive line, Jared Goff effectively holds the keys to the car. The veteran managed to have a solid season despite the team’s overall struggles, throwing for 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Questions still arise about whether or not Goff has what it takes to win a Super Bowl, as he lost his only appearance in the big game up to this point with the Los Angeles Rams. He has proven doubters wrong in big moments before, but was unable to get the Lions there in their last two playoff runs.
If the veteran is consistent, avoids turnovers and is kept upright by a resurgent offensive line, he has the ceiling of being in the MVP conversation and as such can lead the Lions on another playoff run.
Defense finishes top-10 in takeaways
Though the overall product needs some fine-tuning, the Lions’ defense showed some serious improvement early in the year. Injuries played a big role in their late-season struggles, particularly with both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph suffering season-ending injuries.
These injuries also hampered the Lions’ ability to take the ball away from opponents. Joseph had three interceptions in six games played, and had led the league the previous year in interceptions. Detroit finished 20th in the league in takeaways in 2025.
If they’re able to get healthy and return to form, the Lions should be able to be more impactful taking the ball away from opponents. This would make life much easier on their defense, and as a result help boost their offense.
Return of the run game duo
The Lions have been at their best over the last three years when both Jahmyr GIbbs and David Montgomery have been active and performing at a high level. The two complement each other nicely with differing style, but they have what it takes to punish opposing defenses.
Late in the year, the Lions went away from utilizing Montgomery as much as he had less of an impact. There’s been some concern that he may not be back despite signing a two-year extension last season, but the best version of the Lions’ offense features a thunder to Gibbs’ lightning.
If the Lions can get back to having an effective duo, which would help take some tread off Gibbs’ tires and open up their play-action passing game more effectively, their offense becomes exponentially more dangerous. Goff thrives in play-action, and the Lions’ run-first identity would benefity greatly from a more consistent and effective run game.