Matthew Stafford in limbo as Lions mull firing Jim Caldwell, other moves
The Lions jettisoned their team president and general manager this week, but more changes could be on the way including at head coach and, eventually, at starting quarterback.
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The Lions continued their organizational shake-up this week, firing the team president and general manager as a precursor to what sources have called even more sweeping changes to come in 2016. Coach Jim Caldwell remained in place during the bye week, but team sources said he too could be removed by the end of the season, with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin very highly thought of by ownership and someone who was a finalist for head coaching jobs a year ago.
Detroit plays twice more this month, including the annual Thanksgiving Day game, which would provide a nine-day buffer before the next game during which more changes are possible, sources said. Controlling owner Martha Firestone Ford has already initiated an substantial overhaul. Sources said the decision to fire offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and several of his assistants last week was something ownership strongly favored. And with the 2015 season a wash and a search underway for new executives, Caldwell is by no means assured of finishing the season. Giving Austin the final month of the season to see what impact, if any, he can muster is hardly out of the question.
Within the organization, it is unclear exactly how the Lions will be structured moving forward and there are many who believe that Sheila Ford, one of Martha's daughters, could end up in the presidency role that Tom Lewand held. It's become apparent that William Clay, Jr. now has a far less prominent role with the club, and sources said within the family the issue of whether or not Lewand should have stayed in power was debated going back at least to last year. For now, the coach and acting general manager, Sheldon White, report directly to Martha Ford, though that chain of command could certainly change with new people in place in 2016, and at the very least the Lions will be searching for a new general manager and coach next season.
The fate of quarterback Matthew Stafford will be decided once the new regime in football operations is sorted out, but his future will be integral to the GM interviewing process. Having paid him so much money as a first-round pick in the old collective bargaining agreement, and with the Lions likely drafting high enough to draft a younger, cheaper replacement in the spring, Stafford could be elsewhere in 2016.
Several NFL teams, upon GM Martin Mayhew's firing on Thursday, informed me they would have most definitely pursued Stafford at Tuesday's trade deadline had they known such changes were coming to Detroit's front office, and there will be a robust market for Stafford's services should Detroit shop him this offseason. The Jets, Bills, Browns, Texans, Eagles and Redskins are just some of the teams with unsettled quarterback situations heading into 2016, and at least some of those teams are high on Stafford.
Stafford's contract is easily tradeable next year, with his guaranteed money already paid, and just an $11-million cap hit coming from his departure (which could also be lessened should he renegotiate his deal to further facilitate a trade). He is currently signed through 2017 with base salaries of $17 million and $16.5 million.
The Lions have been saddled by several massive contracts tied to making top selections under the old CBA, which has hindered their salary and cap flexibility, and given the events of the past few weeks many other clubs around the NFL are reading these changes as a precursor to trying to replenish with younger, cheaper talent via the draft process, with Stafford a central trade chip.
