Contents
The Detroit Lions quarterback is Matthew Stafford. He was drafted by the Lions in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Checkout this video:
The History of the Detroit Lions Quarterbacks
The Detroit Lions have had a lot of great quarterbacks throughout their history. Some of the most famous Lions quarterbacks include Bobby Layne, Greg Landry, and Scott Mitchell. Let’s take a look at the history of the Lions quarterbacks.
The Early Years
The Detroit Lions were established in 1930, and their first quarterback was Harry Ebding, who played for the team from 1930 to 1931. The Lions didn’t have much success during their first few years in the NFL, and they went through a number of different quarterbacks during that time. In 1934, the Lions finally found some stability at the quarterback position with Ace Gutowsky, who started for the team for four seasons. Gutowsky was replaced by All-Pro quarterback Dutch Clark in 1938, and Clark would go on to start for the Lions for six seasons.
After Clark retired following the 1943 season, the Lions went through a period of five years where they had four different starting quarterbacks. In 1948, they finally found their next franchise quarterback when they drafted Bobby Layne out of the University of Texas. Layne started for the Lions for six seasons and led them to three NFL Championships (1952, 1953, 1957). After Layne’s retirement following the 1958 season, the Lions once again went through a period of instability at the quarterback position.
The Modern Era
Since the turn of the century, the Detroit Lions have had a number of different quarterbacks under center. Here is a look at some of the most notable signal callers in team history.
2000-2010: The Jeff Garcia Years
Jeff Garcia was the starting quarterback for the Lions from 2000-2010. During that time, he led the team to a number of winning seasons and helped them reach the playoffs on several occasions. He retiree after the 2010 season with started 136 games for the Lions, completing 2,944 of 4,712 passes for 34,494 yards and 244 touchdowns. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2017.
2011-2013: The Matthew Stafford Era
In 2011, Matthew Stafford became the starting quarterback for the Lions and he has remained in that role ever since. During his time with the team, Stafford has led them to a number of winning seasons and has set numerous franchise records. He is currently the team’s all-time leader in passing yards (29,817) and touchdown passes (188).
The Current Detroit Lions Quarterback
The Detroit Lions current quarterback is Matthew Stafford. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was the NFL passing yards leader in 2011. He is the franchise leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
His Early Life
Mitch Trubisky was born on August 20, 1994, in Mentor, Ohio to parents Dave and Julie Trubisky. He has two older brothers, one of whom played football at the University of Dayton. Trubisky started playing football in eighth grade and went on to play quarterback for Mentor High School’s varsity team. In his senior year, he was named Lake County Offensive Player of the Year and led his team to the state playoffs.
Trubisky attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played for the UNC Tar Heels football team from 2013 to 2016. As a freshman in 2013, he appeared in three games and completed five of eight passes for 47 yards. In 2014, he became the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback and threw for 3,048 yards and 21 touchdowns. The following year, he threw for 4,056 yards and 30 touchdowns. As a senior in 2016, he threw for 3,748 yards and 30 touchdowns. After his senior season, he was named first-team All-ACC and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation’s top collegiate quarterback.
Trubisky was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft with the second overall pick. He made his NFL debut on September 10, 2017 against the Atlanta Falcons and recorded a 135 passing yards and a touchdown en route to a victory.
His NFL Career
Stafford was the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, chosen by the Lions. He signed a six-year, $72 million contract with $41.7 million in guarantees, making him the highest-paid rookie in NFL history at the time. In 2010, Stafford threw for 5,038 yards and 41 TDs, becoming just the fourth player to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season (joining Drew Brees, Dan Marino and Tom Brady). His 5,038 passing yards placed him second all-time among NFL rookies behind only Marino’s record of 5,084 set in 1983.
