The smoke was clear. No, not the smoke mind you, smoke is rarely clear; the intention of the smoke, its message inherent. The end of Matthew Stafford in Detroit was clear: the contract spoke it, the narrative spoke it, the cost-benefit hummed. It was going to happen; it was just a matter of when it would come down. The announcement still hit like hell.
What begins an end? Where did the end start for Stafford and the Lions? The rumors have been around for a few years now: the reticence of Stafford to start again, with a potential fifth offensive coordinator, a fourth head coach.