NFL

Lions, Matthew Stafford Agree to Deal

Posted Apr 24, 2009 11:10PM By Ryan Wilson (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Lions, NFL Draft

Text SizeAAA
On Thursday, Mark Sanchez told FanHouse's Ariel Helwani (as well as everybody else he talked to the last week or so) that he was all but certain quarterback Matthew Stafford would go to the Lions with the first overall pick.

Looks like he was right.

A week ago, the team reportedly opened negotiations with Stafford, offensive tackle Jason Smith and linebacker Aaron Curry, presumably in an effort to guarantee that they had somebody under contract come Saturday at 4PM ET.

The last thing an organization coming off an 0-16 season and a front-office shakeup needs is to have the first-overall selection and franchise quarterback holding out through training camp for more dough. JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn both did it in 2007. It's hard to blame those lost months on unspectacular careers to date, but missing time couldn't have helped.

We're less than an hour from Draft Day 2009, and FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer has some good news:(Well, it's good news in the sense that the Lions have the guy they wanted under contract. Not so good news if you're of the opinion that the team would've been better off with Smith or Curry.)
The Lions have agreed to contract terms with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, FOXSports.com has learned. It is a six-year, $78 million deal, with $41.7 million guaranteed.

The two sides have been working on a deal diligently for the past 72 hours. The team had been negotiating with Stafford and Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith before ultimately deciding on Stafford as the target.
The proponents of a rookie wage scale will certainly use the fact that Stafford's getting $78 million guaranteed (Mlive.com's Tom Kowalski reports that it's $72 million in guarantees, not $78 million) in their argument. The new contract makes him the richest draft choice in history, surpassing the six-year, $72 million deal Matt Ryan signed last year. The 2008 No. 1 pick, Jake Long, received a five-year, $57.75 million contract from Miami.

And while the first-overall selection in 2009 should make more than his 2008 counterpart, how about this: Ben Roethlisberger, two-time Super Bowl champ, got $36 million guaranteed in the contract extension he inked last offseason.

In any event, the club has avoided the possibility of a holdout, and more importantly, it probably means Drew Stanton has thrown his last duck for the Lions.

Detroits Turbulent Draft History

    Quarterback Matt Stafford is heading to Motown. The No. 1 overall draft pick agrees to a 6-year deal with an NFL-record $41.7 million in guaranteed money. Will the expensive investment pan out for the lowly Lions? Only time will tell. Click through to see how some of Detroit's more memorable picks have panned out through the years.

    Scott Boehm, Getty Images

    The Pick: QB Joey Harrington - Round 1, No. 3 | The Draft: 2002
    Harrington had a record of 18 wins and 37 losses during his tenure with the Lions. He posted some of the worst yards per attempt seasons in NFL history and now serves as a backup for the Saints.

    Elsa, Getty Images

    The Pick: WR Johnnie Morton - Round 1, No. 21 | The Draft: 1994
    Morton played eight seasons with the Lions, tallying 6,499 of his career receiving yards in Detroit. He retired from the NFL in 2005. In June 2007, Morton, bottom, lost his mixed martial arts debut in 38 seconds via knockout.

    Bob Riha, Jr, Dynamite USA II / FEG / AP

    The Pick: RB Barry Sanders - Round 1, No. 3 | The Draft: 1989
    Sanders was one of the most explosive and memorable running backs in NFL history. The legend racked up 10 Pro Bowl selections in his career and retired suddenly in 1999.

    Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

    The Pick: WR Charles Rogers - Round 1, No. 2 | The Draft: 2003
    One of the biggest busts in NFL history, Rogers played only 15 games with the Lions before being released in 2006. His lowlights included breaking his collarbone twice and a suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He was jailed in March for violating probation following assault and battery charges.

    Carlos Osorio, AP

    The Pick: WR Mike Williams - Round 1, No. 10 | The Draft: 2005
    Williams, who was traded off the team before the 2007 season, is currently looking for work after just three seasons and 539 receiving yards. The 25-year-old battled injuries and weight issues throughout his short career.

    Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

    The Pick: LB Reggie Brown - Round 1, No. 17 | The Draft: 1996
    Brown played in only 32 games with the Lions. He suffered a spinal cord contusion while assisting on a tackle in the closing game of 1997 season. Emergency surgery saved him from using a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Brown is now mobile and serves as a manager for a motor vehicle dealership.

    Bob Broadbeck, AP

    The Pick: RB Billy Sims - Round 1, Pick No. 1 | The Draft: 1980
    The 1978 Heisman Trophy winner had a short but successful career with Detroit, racking up 5,106 rushing yards over five seasons. His career ended midway through the 1984 season when he suffered a knee injury.

    Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

Tags: Aaron+Curry, AaronCurry, Ben+Roethlisberger, BenRoethlisberger, Brady+Quinn, BradyQuinn, Drew+Stanton, DrewStanton, Jake+Long, JakeLong, JaMarcus+Russell, JamarcusRussell, Jason+Smith, JasonSmith, Mark+Sanchez, MarkSanchez, Matt+Ryan, Matthew+Stafford, MatthewStafford, MattRyan

Related Articles

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fantasy Football Player Rankings

Fantasy Football Position Rankings
Keep your fantasy football team going strong with our position-by-position rankings.



NFL Team Photos




Latest NFL Photos