STAFFORD QUESTIONS BEGIN

As division rivals, the Bears know full well how much of an upgrade Matthew Stafford would be at quarterback - and they probably figure the Lions are unlikely to consider trading him to a team in the NFC North.

After all, the Lions have been dealing with the curse of Bobby Layne

for more than 50 years, so why help an opponent they face twice annually solve its own QB woes?

While the Bears infamously traded Layne to the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Lions later dealt him to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958 - a year after Detroit won the NFL championship - and legend has it Layne, angered by the move, said the Lions wouldn’t win a championship for another 50 years. At least Layne didn’t hex the Bears on his way out of town, right?

But the news Saturday that the Lions and Stafford have come to an agreement he would be better off elsewhere, the first sign of movement in what will be a fascinating offseason of musical quarterbacks, could be an early domino to fall that positions the Bears to land their next quarterback.

The list of teams in the market for a quarterback this offseason is long, and you never know when a team that appears well-situated will take action, like the Packers did last year when they traded up to draft Jordan Love in the first round with Aaron

Rodgers still playing at an MVP level. It would be surprising if the Lions even considered dealing Stafford to the Bears, but general manager

Ryan Pace shouldn’t assume that without making a call. If the Bears put together an offer that is clearly superior to any other the Lions receive, maybe a deal could be made. But there likely will be considerable interest elsewhere that would make the idea of dealing Stafford in the division a non-starter for new Lions GM Brad Holmes.