Matthew Stafford Is Now The Highest Paid Player In NFL History

News

Matthew Stafford signed a five-year, $135 million contract extension with the Detroit Lions on Aug. 28.

The deal, which will pay him an average annual salary of $27 million, makes Stafford the highest paid player in NFL history.

The Player

Stafford was the first overall pick for the Lions in the 2009 NFL draft. In eight seasons, the former Georgia Bulldog has thrown for 30,303 yards, 187 touchdowns and 102 interceptions.

Last year, Stafford threw for over 4,000 yards for the sixth consecutive season. In the first quarter of a New Year’s Day game against the Green Bay Packers, Stafford connected with wide receiver Golden Tate for 17 yards to become the fastest player to reach 30,000 career passing yards. The 29-year-old accomplished his feat in just 109 games, breaking the record set by Miami Dolphins’ legend Dan Marino in 1990, and met by 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Warner in 2009, both of whom reached the mark in 114 games.

Stafford had guided the Lions to an 8-4 record prior to a Week 14 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Late in the first quarter of the game, Stafford’s throwing hand was hit by Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd. The quarterback tried to shake it off, but he had dislocated the tip of his middle finger and was forced to wear a glove for the remainder of the game, and subsequently through the end of the season.

In the Bears game, Stafford scrambled for a seven-yard touchdown with just three minutes left to play, putting the Lions up 20-17. It was his eighth fourth quarter comeback victory of the season (25th of his career), breaking a record set by quarterback Peyton Manning, who had seven such comeback victories in 2009 (Manning’s record was met by his brother Eli in 2011 and Oakland’s Derek Carr in 2016).

Despite early MVP consideration, Stafford was never the same player after the injury to his hand. He finished the year with 4,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Detroit lost the final three games of the regular season and fell to the Seattle Seahawks 26-6 on Wild Card weekend.

The Team

In 2008, the Lions started John Kitna, Daunte Culpepper, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton at quarterback, as the team raced toward the worst record in the history of professional football. Teams had failed to tally any wins in seasons prior to 2008, but the Lions were the first team to lose 16 games, after the league expanded from 14 in 1978.

There was no hope for Detroit, which had not seen the playoffs since the 1999 season, prior to the arrival of the 21-year-old passer. Stafford was the first rookie to start the season at quarterback for the Lions since Greg Landry in 1968.

Stafford, who finished his first two seasons on Injured Reserve, owns 30 Lions franchise records, including the most franchise passing yards (30,303) and lowest career interception percentage (2.5%). He also owns 18 NFL records, including most passing attempts in a season (727 in 2012).

Opinion  

The Lions are nowhere near prepared to part ways with the greatest quarterback in franchise history. Backup quarterback Jake Rudock and rookie Brad Kaaya are still too young and underdeveloped for any team to consider them starting material.

In 2011, his first full professional season, Stafford put up the best numbers of his career. As one of three quarterbacks that season (Tom Brady and Drew Brees) to throw for over 5,000 yards, Stafford led Detroit to its first playoff appearance since 1999.

He posted 41 touchdowns and just 16 interceptions, was named a Pro Bowl alternate and the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year. 2011 was his best season statistically, but 2016 was something brand new for the veteran.

Stafford, in his first season without Calvin Johnson, threw for 270.4 yards per game and had just a 1.7 interception percentage. If nothing else, he proved to the Lions, and the world, that he was more than just the guy who lobbed the ball to Megatron.

Though he has been outdueled in playoff games by Drew Brees, Tony Romo and Russell Wilson, Stafford has shown that he can be reliable. As salaries continue to expand, Stafford’s reign as the highest-paid player in NFL history will be short-lived, but well-deserved.