The Detroit Lions already made one quarterback trade this season, sending Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff and draft picks. Now, with the team entering a rebuild, general manager Brad Holmes might have another big move in mind.
While the Lions won’t officially acquire Goff until the trade is finalized when the new league year begins on March 17, many anticipated that it would be just the first in a series of deals. With so many quarterback-needy teams across the league and the carousel especially active, it only made sense for a rebuilding team to find more ways to acquire draft capital.
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With so much attention on the trade front for Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and Sam Darnold, another quarterback might be moving before them.
NFL rumors: Detroit Lions discussing Chase Daniel trade
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions have engaged in several discussions with other teams about a trade for Chase Daniel. While other clubs don’t view him as a starter, he is a valuable backup that a lot of general managers and coaches are high on.
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Daniel signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Lions last season to serve as Stafford’s backup. He appeared in four games, completing 67.4% of his passes and posting a 1-2 TD-INT ratio with 264 passing yards and a 72.2 passer rating.
Before that, Daniel has bounced around the league. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2009, signing with the Washington Football Team. He later found a home with the New Orleans Saints (2009-’12), learning from Drew Brees before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013.
Daniel spent the next three years in Kansas City, making two starts and playing in 10 games. He completed 63.2% of his passes, threw for 409 passing yards and had a 78.6 passer rating. Following a 2016 stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, he returned to the Saints in 2017 before serving as a backup for the Chicago Bears (2018-’19).
Despite only having an 8/7 TD/INT ratio in his career, Daniel has made an incredible living as a backup. He has $38.7 million in career earnings and could now be traded for a Day 3 draft pick.
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Given his wealth of knowledge and experience, the 34-year-old quarterback makes sense for a few teams. He could be a mentor for New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, Philadelphia Eagles starter Jalen Hurts, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Justin Herbert and might be a viable option for the Miami Dolphins as a backup to Tua Tagovailoa.
With multiple teams seemingly interested in him, the Detroit Lions won’t hesitate to take advantage by landing the highest Day 3 pick possible. For a rebuilding team that needs young players to fill out its roster, trading Daniel is an easy decision.