Matthew Stafford Contract Leaves Chance for Detroit Lions Return

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?

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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?”

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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.

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson