Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford has been rumored for a while to be in line to become the highest paid player in NFL history. Now, it's no longer a rumor, according to ESPN:
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Lions and Matthew Stafford agreed to five-year contract expected to make him highest paid player in NFL history, a team source told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 29, 2017
The #Lions and QB Matthew Stafford agreed on a 5-year extension worth $135M, source said. Huge.💰💰💰
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2017
Stafford is much-maligned in some circles and a lot of the criticism he receives is based on a lack of team success. But, the Lions clearly love Stafford, as ESPN's Michael Rothstein noted in his talk with Lions president Rod Wood, who said Detroit would do "whatever it takes" to keep Stafford long-term.
"I'm comfortable in getting a deal done with him, and we'll see where that ends up. It's going to be whatever it takes, I think, to make it happen from both sides, and whether he becomes the highest-paid or not, it'll be a short-lived designation because, as (general manager) Bob (Quinn) said, and I think it's true, if you're in the top whatever of quarterbacks, when your time comes up, your time comes up and then somebody else's time comes up, and they become the highest-(paid player)."
Wood's notion that the next top-tier quarterback to hit free agency will almost always cross the threshold is an accurate one.
Still, the 29-year-old Stafford, entering the final year of his contract, threw for 4,327 yards and 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last season. He's also a Pro Bowl Player (2013) who has thrown for more than 30,000 yards in his career, and owns the NFL record for most passing yards in his first 100 games. He's also the Lions' all-time leader in every major passing category for the Lions, and he doesn't even turn 30 until next February.
So what's that worth? The Detroit Free Press says Stafford is expected to get $25 million per year — or more.
Being a quarterback is nice.
