The Detroit Lions have been searching for a playoff win for decades and a championship for more than 60 years. What would it take to win? We may not know right now, but what would fans be okay with the team giving up to win?
That’s where last week’s trade news comes into play. The Philadelphia Eagles have sent their quarterback, Carson Wentz, packing in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts in return for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional second-round pick in 2022 that can potentially turn into a first-round pick. After the deal Detroit received in return for quarterback Matthew Stafford, this one may seem a little light for the Eagles.
But what happened in Philly in the course of five years? Wentz was drafted in 2016 and one season later the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Two seasons later, Wentz is out the door and the team is onto another signal-caller. Knowing they won a championship, would Lions fans go this scenario?
The easy answer is yes, but there’s more to it. The Eagles traded up for Wentz in the 2016 draft and gave him a monster contract after he helped them win a Super Bowl. Today, they’re paying money for him not to play for the team. Does that change things? Here’s the outline of what the Eagles gave up for Wentz and what they are set to receive in return as highlighted by The Athletic’s Zach Berman:
The new “Philly Special” for Detroit Lions?
While Wentz didn’t play in the Super Bowl due to injury, he positioned the Eagles to make a playoff run by helping win a number of games in the regular season. Seeing the tweet above, would Lions fans pay this price, the new “Philly Special,” for a Super Bowl win? How about a playoff win?
It seems expensive in both draft capital and cap dollars. And after it all is said and done, you aren’t sure who will be the quarterback for the Lions in the future. But, the Lions would have a championship to show for it. If this was hypothetically possible, would the Lions be willing to hand out the cash and draft picks?
Maybe this is a silly question for a suffering fanbase that’s thirsty for winning in nearly any form. Of course, it’s worth the price, a championship would be delivered to the city of Detroit. If the team can come together for one dream season, the price might not matter at all. While the Eagles have paid the price for Wentz, they’ve also reaped the rewards.
Detroit Lions fans would gladly take this deal if a championship were guaranteed. Even if they had to start by trading up to draft their quarterback this year and quarterback Jared Goff had to come in during the playoffs to finish the miracle run. The ends would certainly justify the means.