Stafford Cashes In

The Detroit Lions have pegged Matthew Stafford as their franchise quarterback ever since drafting the big-armed passer with the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Last week, the Lions rewarded Stafford’s MVP-caliber 2016 season by making him the highest-paid player in league history.

Stafford and Detroit agreed on a five-year contract extension worth $135 million, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, eclipsing the five-year, $125 million deal Derek Carr signed with the Raiders earlier this summer.

The deal includes a $50 million signing bonus and the potential for $92 million guaranteed. Both are NFL records. Stafford has $60.5 million fully guaranteed at signing, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The deal is the 29-year-old quarterback’s second extension with the Lions, coming on the heels of a three-year, $53 million pact back in 2013. He was slated to earn $22 million this fall before this most recent restructuring. Now he’s set to earn $27 million per year under the new deal.

Locking down Stafford needed to be a priority for the Lions this offseason. This new deal will keep the Lions passing game clicking into the next decade — and should make Golden Tate pretty happy in the process.

His new deal continues a trend of escalating contracts for the league’s upper-tier quarterbacks. Andrew Luck reset the market last summer with a six-year, $140 million deal that included $87 million in guarantees. That was the NFL’s high-water mark until an ascending Carr topped it. With salary caps rising and quarterback play more important than ever, franchises — except for the one in Washington — are spending big to ensure a steady hand at the helm of their offense.

It’s a ton of money to spend on a player with no All-Pro selections and just one Pro Bowl invite to his name, but Stafford’s steady playmaking and growth make it a sound investment. He was on the short list of MVP candidates after leading the Lions to a 9-4 start in 2016. However, a dislocated finger sheared his accuracy and trapped the team in a free fall to end the season.

When on top of his game, Stafford is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He has solid pocket presence, accuracy, and a powerful arm. In 2016, he proved he could thrive without Calvin Johnson as a downfield security blanket, helping Tate and Marvin Jones put together two of the best campaigns of their respective careers.

Due to the abysmal rushing attack, Stafford had to continuously make plays in the passing game. The team relied on him to orchestrate long drives and cap them off with touchdowns. Stafford delivered.

Detroit had the No. 11 pass offense in 2016, and Stafford kept the team competitive in games because of those late-game heroics. He led Detroit on eight game-wining drives, the most since 1970. Because of Stafford’s dominant performance last season, Detroit clinched a wild card spot at 9-7, and he threw for 4,327 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions.