A deal to send Matthew Stafford to a new NFL home could be completed shortly.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell on Saturday told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press the club has received “quite a few offers” for Stafford, who spent his first 12 seasons with the organization.
Recently, Stafford and the Lions agreed a split is in the best interest of both sides. The Free Press reports approximately one-third of teams in the NFL have spoken to the Lions, who are under new direction with Campbell and first-year general manager Brad Holmes.
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The 49ers, along with Indianapolis and Washington, are considered among the interested parties, Birkett reported. There was no indication as of Friday evening the 49ers and Lions were close to a deal.
The Los Angeles Rams also reportedly are involved. (Holmes most recently was the Rams' director of college scouting.) And the New England Patriots might be a strong contender, too.
"It’s pretty hot and heavy right now," Campbell told the Free Press. "We’ve got quite a few offers and so it looks like we’ve got some trade partners, we’re just trying to work out the best scenario and see what’s best for us, ultimately.
"I mean, we’re mindful of trying to give him what he wants as well, but he also knows that, listen, we’re going to find the best value for the Detroit Lions and what’s best for us. That’s kind of what we’re doing."
The Free Press reports the level of league-wide interest in Stafford suggests the Lions could receive at least a first-round draft pick.
The 49ers’ first-round pick for the 2021 draft is at No. 12 overall. The 49ers’ only other scheduled pick in the top 100 is at No. 43 overall.
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Stafford, who turns 33 on Super Bowl Sunday, would cost his new team the affordable rates of $20 million and $23 million over the final two years of his contract.
If the 49ers were to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, it would cost the team $2.8 million in dead money on the 2021 cap. Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager have been adamant that the club expects to enter the 2021 season with Garoppolo at quarterback. But Shanahan did leave the door open for a change.
“Now, you look into every avenue and you see if there’s something out there that can get you a ton better,” Shanahan said on Dec. 28.