Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford hopes he will stay in Detroit 'for a long time'

Published Nov. 10, 2015 11:16 a.m. ET

foxsports

With the Detroit Lions in a state of turmoil, the fate of franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford is up in the air. His play has not excused him from any of the blame for Detroit's 1-7 start, so the team may decide to move on from him after this season.

Speaking on FOX 2 in Detroit, Stafford made it clear that he hopes that's not the case (h/t ESPN's Michael Rothstein):

I don't think it helps, you know, for me to sit there and think about it. I'm doing a disservice to the other guys in the locker room preparing to win games on Sundays to sit there and worry about what the future holds. I'm trying to play as good of football as I possibly can and help the Lions win.

...

Listen, that's not up to me. It's not. I love playing here. I've enjoyed it. We'll see what happens. Hopefully I'm here for a long time.

Stafford has completed 64.5 percent of his passes this season for just over 2,000 yards. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His lowest point of the season came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, when he was benched after tossing three picks.

Former Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was the first domino to fall in Detroit. There will be more scapegoats to come for the team's shortcomings on that side of the ball, and the struggling quarterback is a leading candidate.

Even though he's the franchise's all-time leader in several major passing categories, Stafford is not safe from the changes that are sure to come in Detroit after this season.