By Michael Stets
Matthew Stafford will be entering his ninth season with the Lions, which will be the last year on his current contract, but he doesn’t seem too concerned about whether or not a new deal gets done prior to the start of the 2017 campaign.
“If that stuff is going to get done it’s going to get done,” Stafford told reporters at Allen Park on Tuesday, after the second day of the Lions off-season workouts. “If it’s not. It’s not. I can’t really worry about it too much. That’s why I have an agent. That’s why you hire one. And I let him deal with that kind of stuff. For me, I’m just going about my business. I’m under contract for another year. I’ll be here trying to lead this team.”
Stafford, 29, signed a three-year extension with the team in 2013 worth $53 million, which included a signing bonus of $27.5 million and $41.5 million guaranteed. He is represented by Tom Condon. This season, the Lions signal caller is due to make $16.5 million with a cap hit of $22 million. Stafford mentioned that he has spoken to both head coach Jim Caldwell and general manager Bob Quinn, but a “firm timeline” hasn’t been set on anything.
“Their people are talking to my people and we will see what happens,” he said. “I guess that is how that goes. I’m not involved as much as you guys would like me to be.
Quinn said the team was in the “early stages” of negotiations when he spoke at Ford Field during the Season Ticket Member Summit last week. He also said the Lions were fortunate to have Stafford and would like to “make it a long-term thing.”
Stafford shares that same sentiment.
“I would love to,” said the 2009 No. 1 overall draft pick. “I think I’ve had a really good time playing here. Would like to be here long term, but that’s yet to be seen.”
With Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck signing a blockbuster six-year $140 million deal last year, making him the highest paid player in NFL history, Stafford is expected to command a similar deal. The NFL salary cap is set at $167 million for 2017. Starting quarterbacks will sometimes take less money so that their respective teams can have more cap room to sign other talent, but Stafford didn’t sound like he’d be willing to sign for a discounted rate.
“I think it’s something for those guys to talk about and understand probably more than me. I know every year teams find ways to put good teams around good quarterbacks. You see it every year. I’m not too worried about that. I know that salary caps and all that kind of stuff is malleable as you want it to be. I think you just go and try to make a good decision for not only the player, but the team and go from there.”
The Lions finished 9-7 in 2016, losing their last three games. But Stafford had a solid statistical season, throwing for 4,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. And he led the team to eight come-from-behind wins en route to a NFC Wildcard playoff berth, the team’s third trip to the playoffs with him under center. The Lions lost to the Seahawks in the opening round, with Stafford still nursing an injury to the middle finger of his throwing hand that he suffered in a week 13 win over the Bears. An injury, he says, that is now fully healed.
“Just needed rest, no surgery, no procedure or anything like that. Feels good. Threw a little bit today. So, it feels fine. I’ve been throwing for about a month, month-and-a-half now. Just took some rest. It was after the Superbowl until it started feeling better.”