Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is signed with his team through the 2017 NFL season. But he would like to keep playing in Detroit for many more years to come.
Stafford on the possibility of new deal: "I would love to. I’ve had a really good time playing here, would like to be here long term."
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) April 18, 2017
Stafford will be finishing out the three-year, $53 million contract extension he signed in 2013. He is still just 29 years old and is in the prime of his career. Fortunately, he is coming off of two very productive seasons that should set him up for quite the lucrative deal.
General manager Bob Quinn weighed in on the talks with Stafford.
“It’s not done yet,” Quinn said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “We’re in the very early stages of talking to Matthew and his representatives. Matthew’s a quarterback that I want here and he’s a quarterback that Coach [Jim] Caldwell wants here, so we’re in the early stages. It takes two sides to do a deal and we’re working towards that.”
It sounds like patience is key here. Stafford was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. He is tasked with the starting for a team that has not won a playoff game since 1991.
Detroit is clearly home to Stafford. After all, he is the team’s all-time leading passer after having thrown for 30,303 yards and 187 touchdowns.
The franchise just unveiled new uniforms, and Stafford said he would like to be wearing one until “they’ve become a familiar look.”