Stafford latest QB to break the bank

Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford have nudged the biggest-contract bar higher for NFL quarterbacks in recent months and the next beneficiaries are likely to be Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

The five-year, $135 million contract extension Stafford completed with the Lions makes him the sport’s highest-paid quarterback ahead of Carr, who signed a fiveyear, $125 million deal with the Raiders in June.

It’s good to be a quarterback.

“Heading to backyard to loosen up the old arm after reading news on Stafford deal,” Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson wrote on Twitter.

It was some rare good news for the Lions. After failing to re-sign defensive standout Ndamukong Suh and seeing wide receiver Calvin Johnson abruptly retire in recent years, the organization was able to strike a longterm deal with its franchise quarterback.

Stafford had been entering the final season of his contract.

He played well enough to be in the league MVP conversation for much of last season, ultimately throwing for 4,327 yards and 24 touchdowns. But he was plagued by an injury to a finger on his throwing hand late in the season and the Lions faded, being overtaken by the Packers in the NFC North and losing an opening-round playoff game at Seattle. Stafford probably will have to be an MVP contender again this season for the Lions to be relevant. But at least there will be no more talk about his contract status.

Those conversations now shift to Cousins and Brees. Further down the road, they will be about Ryan and Rodgers. And the numbers between the dollar sign and the decimal point undoubtedly will continue to grow.

Ryan, the reigning league MVP who got the Falcons to the Super Bowl last season, is signed through the 2018 season. The Falcons likely will make a strong push after this season to sign him to an extension.

Rodgers, the two-time league MVP and former Super Bowl winner for the Packers, is signed through the 2019 season as part of a five-year, $110 million deal. That $22 million-per-season average is obsolete now. But whatever Cousins, Brees and Ryan get, Rodgers could be in position to surpass them all with his next contract.

The cost of doing business with those top quarterbacks is only going to continue to rise.

On second thought

The NFLPA executive director says a work stoppage in 2021 when the current agreement ends is a “virtual certainty.” Owners plan to nip that threat in the bud with just two words: replacement refs.

Headlines

■ At NFL Memes on Facebook: “Cowboys sign Jon Jones to 4-year/$65M deal.”

■ Mike Bianchi of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, after Tampa Bay released 2016 draft bust Roberto Aguayo: “Even guys in my fantasy league know not to draft a kicker in the second round.”

■ Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, on his new favorite football team: “The Los Angeles Chargers of Anaheim.”

■ At TheKicker.com: “Passing the torch: Browns send Jets keys to NFL basement.”