Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is playing standout ball this year, is likely headed for for a financial windfall (not that he's a poor guy now.)
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports:
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has earned midseason MVP chatter in leading his team beyond what many expected, and with his contract set to expire in 2017, he will explore an extension with Detroit after the season. Stafford's agents will seek a deal that would top Aaron Rodgers at $25 million per season, league sources said, a target they envisioned before the season and one bolstered by his excellent play.
Stafford, 28, already has secured two massive deals and is signed through 2017. He is set to make $16.5 million next season. With quarterback salaries soaring -- in many cases for less-accomplished passers -- the veteran is primed to cash in again. Letting a quarterback of his caliber play into his lame duck season is not ideal, and while the Lions would franchise him in 2018, that figure alone could be inching up to $25 million for one season by then.
