Who Is Lions' All-21st Century Team Quarterback?

The debate for which quarterback has been more impactful for the Detroit Lions over the last 25 years is a complicated one.

Ironically, the two players were traded for one another in a deal that has changed the course of the Lions' future. In January of 2021, the Lions made a deal with the Los Angeles Rams that sent Matthew Stafford, who had quarterbacked the team for over a decade, in exchange for Jared Goff and several draft picks.

In finding the best signal-caller for the team since 2000, it is the overall body of work from Stafford that separates him from Goff and makes him the quarterback of the All-Quarter Century team.

Undoubtedly, Goff has led the team to new heights in his tenure as the team's quarterback. With him behind center, the Lions have won back-to-back division titles to snap a 30-year drought without one, and won two playoff games in a single postseason for the first time ever.

However, Stafford made a large impact over his 12 years as the starter, and at this present juncture is the best quarterback in franchise history from a statistical perspective.

In his tenure, Stafford set a number of franchise records including passing yards, completions, attempts and passing touchdowns. As a result, his overall footprint on the organization is a large one.

The Georgia product also showcased some of the organization's trademark toughness by overcoming and playing through a number of injuries. After playing in just three games in 2010, his second NFL season, he rebounded to to become the first Lions quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards and earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.