Stafford not sweating contract
Entering final year, Lions QB has ‘no timetable’ for deal.
Matthew Stafford has made enough money already that his newborn twin daughters should be just fine, financially, for life. The Detroit Lions are expected to give their quarterback a new deal that will set up his family for generations.
After going through a minicamp practice this week, he insisted the implications of a new contract are not on his mind.
“The only time I ever talk about it or think about it is when you guys ask me questions about it, honestly,” Stafford said. “I just go out there and play ball.”
Stafford has said many times he wants to stay with Detroit. The Lions have made it clear they want to keep the 29-year-old Stafford.
The time to talk seems to be now, or soon, because he is entering the last season of his $53 million, three-year contract and training camp starts in several weeks.
Stafford might get more than the $140 million, sixyear deal Andrew Luck signed last year with the Colts. He or his agent, Tom Condon, probably will not want to settle for less than the Raiders give Derek Carr in his next deal. Carr, who is entering the last year of his contract, has said if he does not have an extension before training camp starts at the end of July, he would play out the final year of his rookie deal in 2017.
Stafford, though, is not publicly making similar statements.
“No timetable,” he said. Stafford tried to make light of the amount of time he might be missing left tackle Taylor Decker, who is out indefinitely after having shoulder surgery.
“The guy is not dead,” he said. “He’s going to be back.”
Browns: No. 1 overall draft pick Myles Garrett limped off the field Wednesday after sustaining an injury to his left foot late in practice.
Garrett, who missed time earlier this spring with an unspecified injury, appeared to go down without any contact while rushing quarterback Brock Osweiler during a two-minute drill. He stayed on the ground for nearly a minute as Browns players and coaches looked on.
Garrett was checked by a trainer and coach Hue Jackson, who helped Garrett to his feet before the rookie defensive end hobbled to the sideline.
Jackson said he did not know the severity of Garrett’s injury and was not going to speculate until the 21-yearold is examined by doctors.
“Obviously I’ll know more once we get inside, but I think it’s his foot, so we’ll see,” Jackson said.
Redskins: Only a year removed from being the starting running back, Matt Jones is now waiting for Washington to release him. Agent Hadley Engelhard said Jones’ camp “asked very politely” for him to be released because “he has no future there.”
Jones was the starter going into the 2016 season but fumbled three times in seven games and was inactive the final nine games. Undrafted rookie Robert Kelley took over the starting job, and Washington drafted Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine in the fourth round.
Jaguars: Quarterback Blake Bortles is headed back to California for more offseason work. Bortles plans to spend a month at 3DQB in Los Angeles to continue honing his mechanics before what likely will be the most important season of his NFL career.
Eagles: One day after Jason Peters, 35, said he wanted assurances he could retire with the Eagles, the nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle signed a one-year extension through 2019 that will allow him to finish his career in Philadelphia.
Broncos: Signed six-year veteran cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris and waived cornerback Taurean Nixon. Lewis-Harris spent four seasons in Cincinnati playing under new Broncos coach Vance Joseph.