Common logic seemed to suggest that the Detroit Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford would agree to a contract extension some time this offseason.
Stafford is heading into his contract season and has been absolutely stellar the past two years, combining to throw 56 touchdowns compared to 23 interceptions.
Set to make $22 million this upcoming season, Stafford is surely in line for a raise and a long-term commitment from the team. Though, it now looks like Stafford is willing to let Oakland Raiders Pro Bowler Derek Carr set the new quarterback market before he signs with Detroit.
“One NFL source expects Stafford to wait for Carr to reset the quarterback market before finalizing a new deal with the Lions. This is where the money will get wild,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday.
As Fowler notes, Andrew Luck’s average salary of $24.5 million is the current market. That’s a deal that Carr will be looking to surpass once he inks a new deal with Oakland. For their part, the Raiders and GM Reggie McKenzie have made if a priority to extend Carr this summer (more on that here).
In similar situations in the past, both the team and the player have set a training camp deadline for an extension. Should Carr fail to ink that long-term deal with Oakland, it will likely force Detroit to place the franchise tag on Stafford following the 2017 campaign.
Stay tuned, this will likely get a whole lot more interesting.