Matthew Stafford’s Contract Extension is a Win-Win for Him and the Detroit Lions

July 9, 2013   ·   Ty Schalter   ·   Jump to comments

In the NFL, there's nothing more valuable than a difference-making quarterback.
That was underscored again when the Detroit Lions signed quarterback Matthew Stafford to a three-year, $53 million contract extension. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the total value of his deal over the next five years is now $76.5 million, $43 million of which is guaranteed.
While eight-digit contract values sound enormous to the ears of regular folks, Stafford's contract doesn't blow out the curve. In fact, according to Spotrac.com, the average annual value of the deal doesn't break him into the top five of NFL quarterbacks.
Make no mistake, that's still big money. Stafford had one of the last huge rookie deals, and (managed properly) this second contract will set his great-grandchildren up for life.
The Lions, meanwhile, did well to cement the 2009 No. 1 overall pick as their starter for the foreseeable future. There will be no franchise-tagging, holdouts or last-...

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