At the end of last season, the major headlines surrounded Matthew Stafford after the Detroit Lions. The Los Angeles Rams put a package that brought the Georgia product to sunny L.A. and is now competing in Super Bowl, but that was almost not the case.
Recently, Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes confirmed that the Carolina Panthers were a top suitor in Stafford’s franchise-altering trade. According to a recent article from Charlotte Observer reporter Jonathan Alexander, the Panthers thought they had everything secured. Still, they were shocked to find out Los Angeles swooped in and essentially stole Stafford from them.
At this same time last year, during the Senior Bowl, Panthers brass were in talks with the Lions concerning Stafford because it was clear the Panthers wanted to upgrade the quarterback position after another disappointing season. In addition, it was clear the Panthers were through with Teddy Bridgewater after his failure to come up big in the most crucial moments, something Stafford has in abundance.
Throughout the week of talks, the Lions and Panthers had agreed to the foundation of the trade, the eighth pick in the 2021 draft, and Bridgewater. The details have the potential trade had plenty of variation with some having an extra late pick in the mix, but knowing the details of the trade, the Panthers had to believe they were getting a steal.
Leaving last year’s Senior Bowl, the Panthers were supremely confident they just landed their franchise quarterback to help elevate the offense, but that was far from the truth after they made it back to Panther headquarters. They learned from a reporter that the Lions were close to pulling off a trade with the Rams, Stafford’s preferred destination, and later it confirmed after the Panthers spoke with Holmes.
The Panthers went from believing they had landed Stafford to learning secondhand that it wasn’t as clear-cut as they thought it was. Surely the rollercoaster of emotion was a tough one to swallow, with some of the Panthers higher-ups believing they had won the trade to being ripped away like a band-aid.
There will always be debate about which trade the Lions should’ve done, and it’s not something that will go away any time soon. Knowing how close the Panthers were to pulling the trade adds another layer to the Stafford trade saga. With Stafford competing for the most coveted prize in the NFL, the Panthers will always wonder what could’ve been and how close they almost had him, but now just a faded dream.
