Matthew Stafford Believes He Will 'Excel' in Big Games

Read more on Matthew Stafford's belief in himself playing in big games.

Even though his tenure has now ended in Detroit, former quarterback Matthew Stafford has opened up to friends in the media to share more on why he decided to move on from the organization and what he expects in the future. 

Last weekend, Stafford was interviewed by the Detroit Free Press, and revealed that he did not see himself as the leader of an organization going through a rebuild. 

"Anytime you switch GMs and a head coach, you know that they’re going to want to bring their own people in, and that’s going to take time. And I, frankly, didn’t feel like I was the appropriate person to oversee that time," Stafford said. 

Despite knowing what he needed to do in order to facilitate his departure, actually having the conversation was a tall task due to not knowing what the reaction of ownership would be. 

© Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

“It was a tough conversation, probably the hardest one I’ve ever had, but one that I walked out of, frankly, blown away with their support and their understanding,” Stafford explained further. “The respect, it was pretty incredible.”

In 12 seasons in Detroit, Stafford only appeared in the postseason on three occasions. 

For any competitor, playing in the big games and having the opportunity to succeed at the highest levels is what motivates them to endure excruciating pain and to play through injuries. 

For the 33-year-old veteran signal-caller, playing with the Los Angeles Rams should provide him the opportunity to fully reach his potential. 

“I’ve always wanted to play in those big games, I feel like I will excel in those situations,” he said. “I wanted to shoot my shot.”

More from SI All Lions:

Glenn: 'We Don't Need a Lot of Thinking Out There'

Staley: 'If You Can't Block, You Can't Play for Me'

Stafford: 'We'll Never Forget Detroit'

Lions Take Wide Receiver in Latest McShay Mock Draft

Kurt Warner Shares Concerns about Jared Goff

Detroit Lions Mock Draft 1.0

Get the latest Detroit Lions news by joining our community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our SI All Lions page. Mobile users click the notification bell. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @DetroitPodcast.