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Could Matthew Stafford be headed to the 49ers? It’s one of those topics that’s gained some steam in recent months, with the future in Detroit totally unclear. The organization is in the process of hiring a new general manager and head coach, and is pressed up against the salary cap after a 5-11 season.
Oddsmaker Bovada listed the 49ers as the fifth-most likely team to start the year with Stafford, giving them 7-to-1 odds to acquire him, and better than 1-to-2 odds to stay with the Lions.
(via @BovadaOfficial) pic.twitter.com/RELBzu4aGm
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) January 5, 2021
Stafford, at age 32, still has another two years remaining on his deal, and if traded after March 17, the Lions would have to eat $29 million in a dead cap hit in 2021. If traded before that date, it would cost $19 million in dead cap, per OverTheCap. That’s a result of a contract restructure which guaranteed Stafford more money down the line.
It’s unclear what a trade would cost, but given the dropping salary cap and the fact that Detroit is currently projected with roughly $8 million less space than the cap-strapped 49ers, it would likely not be cheap.
