Once upon a time, Matthew Stafford was the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback. That time is now long gone.
When Patrick Mahomes agreed to his astronomical $450 million contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl MVP rocketed to the top of the salary heap.
Stafford doesn’t even sniff the top 10 in quarterback salaries anymore. His 5-year, $135 million extension he signed in August of 2017 ranks 13th in total value after Mahomes’s deal becomes official. Stafford earns an average salary of $27 million, which also ranks 13th.
He also sits 13th in salary for the 2020 season at $21 million. The Indianapolis Colts will pay two QBs, Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett, more than Stafford will earn this year.
The total value of Stafford’s deal and total guaranteed figures are still in the top 10, but the Lions have already moved past the most expensive part of Stafford’s compensation. His deal expires in 2023 but the dead cap figure after the 2020 season falls precipitously to just $5 million (dead cap minus cap savings) if the Lions decide to move on from Stafford at that time. Based on how salaries keep escalating, Stafford’s contract ranking will continue to plummet.
All salary and cap info is from Over The Cap.
