Report: Matthew Stafford Wants $25 Million A Year In Next Contract
By: Evan Jankens
@kingofthekc
Matthew Stafford has a chance to own the city of Detroit. If everything goes as planned, the Detroit Lions will win the NFC North and host a playoff game. Think about that for a moment and really let that settle in. The Detroit Lions could host a playoff game.
As I type this the Lions currently sit atop the NFC North. Minnesota and Green Bay seem to be trending down and our very own Detroit Lions are trending up.
Mike Valenti and Jeff Riger talked about Stafford as an MVP candidate at the end of October and that chatter has continued ever since.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com is reporting that when Stafford's contract expires after the 2017 season his agent will be looking to get the 28-year-old QB a deal that will exceed the one of Aaron Rodgers, who is making $25 million a year.
Stafford, 28, already has secured two massive deals and is signed through 2017. He is set to make $16.5 million next season. With quarterback salaries soaring -- in many cases for less-accomplished passers -- the veteran is primed to cash in again. Letting a quarterback of his caliber play into his lame duck season is not ideal, and while the Lions would franchise him in 2018, that figure alone could be inching up to $25 million for one season by then.
As La Canfora points out in his article, Lions' GM Bob Quinn has never made a deal like this but if Stafford does become the highest paid QB in the league then no other GM has either.
Stafford is 8th in TDs (18), 10th in QB rating (101.6) and most importantly has lead his team to a 5-4 record thus far in the 2016 season.