Lions' Rod Wood Says Matthew Stafford Could Be Highest-Paid QB with New Contract

Detroit Lions president Rod Wood is less concerned with what it will take to re-sign Matthew Stafford and focused more on simply getting an extension for the veteran quarterback out of the way.

Wood told ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein the possibility of Stafford becoming the highest-paid player in the NFL is on the table:

"I'm comfortable in getting a deal done with him, and we'll see where that ends up. It's going to be whatever it takes, I think, to make it happen from both sides, and whether he becomes the highest-paid or not, it'll be a short-lived designation because, as [general manager] Bob [Quinn] said, and I think it's true, if you're in the top whatever of quarterbacks, when your time comes up, your time comes up and then somebody else's time comes up, and they become the highest-[paid player]."

Stafford is entering the final year of his current deal.

According to Spotrac, Andrew Luck has the highest average annual salary with a little under $24.6 million a year.

Wood added that having a talented starting quarterback is an important factor in a team's playoff hopes, adding more urgency to getting Stafford's extension completed.

There's no question re-signing Stafford is better than the alternative. Whether he's deserving of a contract making him the highest-paid player in the league is another matter.

Stafford has only one Pro Bowl appearance in his eight years in the NFL, and he has arguably failed to break through as one of the league's best passers despite the promise he showed early in his career. He eclipsed the 5,000-yard mark in his third season.

The 29-year-old threw for 4,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2016, while Football Outsiders ranked him eighth among qualified quarterbacks in DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement).

The Baltimore Ravens are a perfect example of why teams shouldn't blindly give huge contracts to quarterbacks because they're scared of the alternative. Since giving Joe Flacco a six-year, $120.6 million extension, the Ravens have made the playoffs once in four seasons.

Stafford is clearly a better quarterback than Flacco, but paying him top dollar would force the Lions to make sacrifices in other areas. 

If Stafford plays well enough, then the trade-off would be worth it. Still, his extension would come with some level of risk even if it's a necessary exercise for Detroit.