The Detroit Lions had one of the best quarterback-receiver combinations in the game from 2013-2018 in Matthew Stafford and Golden Tate, and it's fair to say the love isn't lost between the two even though they have switched teams.

Recently, Tate was asked about the best quarterbacks he's worked with and came up with an answer that might raise an eyebrow in a few cities, naming Stafford the top thrower he has had the privilege of catching.

"I think Stafford's been the best quarterback I've played with. The guy can flat out play. He's tough, his attitude is amazing and he just wants to play ball. For me, I have nothing but praise for him. It's almost unfair that he's such a good player and doesn't have playoffs or a ring to show for it. That kind of hurts my heart that I wasn't able to help change that," Tate says in the clip.

Tate even goes so far as to say that Stafford might have been a winner if he hadn't started out in Detroit.

"I think over his career, if you put him in another organization, maybe things are different. I don't know. I've played with some guys through the years that I have won playoff games with that I don't think are as good," he said.

It's fair to remember that Tate started his career with Russell Wilson in Seattle, then moved to the Lions before getting to catch passes from Nick Foles in Philadelphia. Now, he gets ti play with Eli Manning and Daniel Jones. Tate was a fixture in Detroit right up until the NFL trade deadline, when the team decided to move on and moved him to the Philadelphia Eagles. After that moment, the Eagles used him to get in the playoffs down the stretch, but in free agency, he signed with the rival New York Giants on a brand new contract.

Detroit, it was assumed, would look to move on from Tate last trade deadline if they were not convinced he would return in free agency on a team friendly deal, or the team didn't want to commit to paying him this offseason given he is over 30 years old. The Lions also have Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones each of whom have been productive, so the pressure might not have been great to keep Tate around past this season knowing that.

Since signing with the Lions away from the Seattle Seahawks after he won the Super Bowl, Tate was one of the bigger values in football in Detroit. He was making $6.2 million a season then, but is generally accepted as the hardest wideout in the game to tackle who can make an offense go all by himself with speed and shiftiness. He'll be a $7.5 million cap hit for the Giants this year.

It didn't seem likely that the Lions would trade Tate, especially as they remained in the hunt for the playoffs at midseason. The move was made, though, and the Lions struggled toward the finish line of 2018. To that end, Tate could have been far too important to move for last year's team, but the deal was too good for them to pass up considering his free agency status.

The frustration many have with Stafford is his play and his price, and while the Lions might look to make a few additions in the future, the quarterback remains highly regarded with his teammates, adding an additional context to the reason the team probably won't move on right now.

In the meantime, all Stafford has done has been will his team to wins and more accomplishments than many could even imagine given some of the talent he's been working with for years. That, along with his age and arm talent, makes him an indispensable guy. Perhaps he doesn't have the playoff success and wins of some of the top other passers in the league, but there is no doubting the fact that he is a true franchise player for the Lions. He's the best quarterback they've had in decades, and they're building around him.

Things like these comments from Tate only prove the deep belief Lions players have in Stafford. He'll have to show he can get over the hump, but it's clear that most folks who have played with him have that belief in him already.