Stafford not looking to leave Lions despite putting home on market

Matthew Stafford put his Bloomfield Township house up for sale months ago, but the Detroit Lions quarterback is adamant he's happy in the Motor City.

"Listen, I'm here, I want to be here," he said Thursday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I love being a Detroit Lion, I love leading this team."

Stafford declined to comment specifically about the sale of his house, which is listed for $6.5 million.

His wife, Kelly, said Friday in an Instagram video that they're selling the house for safety reasons.

"No speculation is needed," she said. "We're about to have our fourth child and I personally do not want to live on a lake or have a pool with four children under the age of a little over three. So that is the reason that it's on the market."

Stafford was embroiled in trade speculation before the draft amid rumors that Detroit may take quarterback Tua Tagovailoa third overall and trade its veteran. The Lions wound up selecting cornerback Jeff Okudah.

"All that kind of stuff is just out there to be out there," Stafford said of the trade reports. "It's a slow news month at that point and I'm just happy to be where I am and ready to deal with this offseason the way that it is and try to make the best of the season that I hope happens."

The 32-year-old was having one of his best seasons in 2019 before a back injury forced him to miss the second half of the schedule. He appeared in every game from 2011 to 2018 but injuries affected him in many of those campaigns.

The Bloomfield Township property is 12,295 square feet. It features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, five fireplaces, an indoor basketball court, a sauna, a wine cellar, a glass elevator, and an infinity pool. The Stafford family also owns homes in California and Atlanta.