Detroit Lions: 2020 season will all hinge on Matthew Stafford’s back
By Tyler Kotila
The draft has come and gone, and the Detroit Lions did not select a quarterback meaning their season depends on the health of Matthew Stafford and his back.
The last few days have been quite busy for the Detroit Lions, who brought in a new draft class and have started pursuing undrafted free agents. One of the things the Lions did not draft was a quarterback, even after all of the Tua Tagovailoa rumors.
Without selecting a quarterback in the draft, passing on Jacob Eason, Jake Fromm, Jalen Hurts, and of course, Tagovailoa, they are relying on Matthew Stafford for the 2020 season. Stafford is the guy, but the question is, will his back hold up for the whole season.
Stafford only played in eight games during the 2019 NFL season and was forced to sit the other half out, due to a back injury. Over the years, Stafford has been bitten pretty bad by injuries, partially due to a lack of an offensive line.
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The issue is if Stafford’s back does not hold up and he cannot continue to be the quarterback of the Lions, the 2020 season might be shot.
Without a rookie backup ready to take over the reins, this 2020 season will be another season where the Lions get a top draft pick.
The organization did sign Chase Daniel this offseason, the famed Chicago Bears, the two-year quarterback who dueled it out on Thanksgiving in 2018.
Daniel is a ten year veteran of the NFL and is a steady back up, but not the future of the Lions quarterbacks if Stafford goes down injured.
Stafford is supposedly “fully-healed” and good to go for the 2020 season, but that does not mean that a big hit or rough landing will not land him back on the sidelines with Daniel taking the reins. Daniel is a serviceable back up quarterback, but at thirty-three, he is no Eason or Hurts.
The Lions added running back D’Andre Swift in the second round as a new weapon to pair with Kerryon Johnson, as well as some offensive line help to help out Stafford. If he can stay healthy, it will be useful to see if the offense can start clicking this season.
However, if Stafford ends up on the sideline, the “Chase Daniel Express” takes off, and it sure seems like taking a chance on Eason or Hurts might have been a better backup plan. Looking back, seeing how far Fromm fell, why not take a flyer on him?
Fromm has his issue, the deep-ball, but developing and working on this behind Stafford would be worth the gamble. Worst case scenario, Stafford sticks around, Fromm becomes the next Jake Rudock, fizzles out with the Lions and goes elsewhere.
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Not taking a quarterback in the draft, even as an insurance piece with Daniel being signed, might be one of the Detroit Lions’ early mistakes of the 2020 season, but time will tell.