Matthew Stafford to the Washington Football Team Just Became a Very Real Possibility

The Washington Football Team has tapped Martin Mayhew to become its new general manager, reporting to Ron Rivera and Ron Rivera only. This duo will be tasked with figuring out what to do with a roster that managed to go 7-9 and limp into the playoffs despite a rotating and not always reliable carousel at the quarterback position. Fixing that is job one.

Dwayne Haskins was dumped unceremoniously after a spectacular spinout. Building a future on the foundation of Alex Smith's right leg is wrought with risk. Taylor Heinicke played admirably in his postseason test but is largely an unknown. If only there was a more stable, proven entity available to play the position at a median level for three quarters and an elite level in the fourth. Someone with whom Mayhew has an existing relationship.

Like, say, Matthew Stafford. He'd sure be a nice option to captain the Washingtonians as they try to repeat in an NFC East that probably won't be all that much more competitive next year. And it sure seems as though Mayhew would be completely on-board with moving assets to bring the veteran into our nation's capital. In fact, he'd probably prefer they make the whole team out of Staffords.

Stafford is one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in football, primarily because non-Lions fans cannot truly understand him and appreciate just how much talent the franchise wasted. He is not a guy who is going to lead any team to a 14- or 13-win season, but he is one who could believably win multiple playoff games, even tough ones on the road, if given a competent running game and decent defense.

He is not a long-term answer yet in terms of short-term ones, Washington could sure do worse. There's a good chance the bidding war that would bring a king's return to Detroit never materializes and the asking price settles at a very reasonable benchmark. Dan Campbell will be bench-pressing his way through a years-long rebuild and accumulating young talent can only help.

On paper, this seems to make a lot of sense. Of course, with Rivera atop the masthead, the likelihood is less clear. After a disastrous Haskins saga, he was quite fond of Smith—and still is—solely for bringing some level of competence and steadiness. Stafford outshines Smith in virtually all departments.