Allen Park — Matthew Stafford is the most prolific quarterback in Detroit Lions history. He owns nearly every meaningful franchise passing record, is one of the most durable, and by extension toughest players to ever play the position in NFL history and quietly performs a wealth of charity work away from the public eye.
And despite all of that, Stafford needs to validate, beyond doubt, he deserves to continue in the role of franchise quarterback during the upcoming season, his 11th with the Lions. Otherwise, it's fair to suggest the organization to consider an alternative.
Stafford remains a good quarterback, and at times during his career, he's bordered on great — like when he threw for 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2011, or during the 2016 campaign, when he played a pivotal role in a record eight fourth-quarter comebacks, working his way into the MVP conversation before a finger injury sabotaged his chances down the stretch.