Detroit Lions have made quarterback Matthew Stafford the highest-paid player in NFL history, after he agreed terms on a five-year extension.
The Lions confirmed the news on Monday night, with widespread reports suggesting the deal is worth $27m (£20.9m) a season, taking him ahead of Derek Carr who penned a $25m-a-year deal (£19.3m) with Oakland earlier this summer.
Stafford was entering the final year of his $53m (£40.9m) deal and Detroit had been confident of agreeing terms. Talks have been ongoing all summer and now the No 1 pick of the 2009 Draft is under contract at Ford Field until the end of the 2022 season.
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The 29-year-old's deal is worth $135m (£104m) in total and will set a new benchmark for quarterback contracts over the coming years, whether staying with their current teams like Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan or exploring their options like Washington's Kirk Cousins.
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Detroit reached the play-offs last season with a 9-7 record to finish second in the NFC North, the third time in six years they have reached the post-season.
With Stafford's future as the franchise QB now secure, the Lions will look to go beyond the wild card round this season having lost on all three occasions since 2011, while they will also be targeting a first divisional title since the old NFC Central in 1993.
