The Detroit Lions have made their quarterback the next in line to get paid some serious guaranteed money. According to Adam Schefter and ESPN, Matthew Stafford has agreed to a three year extension worth an estimated $53 million — with $43 million guaranteed through 2017.
Detroit QB Matthew Stafford will sign a three-year contract extension that ties him to Lions through 2017 season, per team source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 9, 2013
Stafford is coming off another year in which he lit up the yardage category with yet nearly another 5,000 yard season — finishing at 4,967 total passing yards.
However, it was a down year for the quarterback other than that. Only finishing with 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, Stafford did not put up the Pro Bowl type rating many thought he would have. His 2012 finished with a 79.8 rating.
Entering his fifth NFL season, Stafford is only 25 and still has a ton of time left to accomplish some great things. So far, he has shown the ability to be an elite quarterback at the professional level and if he stays healthy, he should soon launch his name into that conversation.
The problem I have with this deal at the moment, is that the Lions are guaranteeing Stafford such an enormous amount of money for only one great season. His first two years featured a combined 13 games due to injuries, and in 2011 he put up over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns. Last year, he seemed to take a step backward.
Like I said, there’s no doubt Stafford can be a great quarterback in the NFL. But, does one season equal a $53 million extension? Not in my book. That’s alright though. I guess this is the year of non-Super Bowl winning quarterbacks getting paid. Tony Romo was first, now Stafford. Next up should be Matt Ryan, according to Schefter.
Let’s see if these guys can finally live up to the money and take their squads to the big game.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
