There are plenty of really stupid takes today on the internet about Matthew Stafford’s contract extension with the Detroit Lions.
Stafford cashed in for $135 million, and people are not happy about it.
“Who is: Matthew Stafford?”#JeopardySports #Lions pic.twitter.com/Aq2dXIuckX
— Jeopardy! Sports (@JeopardySports) August 29, 2017
“I have a problem with the highest-paid dude never having won a playoff game!”
—@stephenasmith reacts to Matthew Stafford’s 5-year deal pic.twitter.com/IbDBZAa4Ov
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 29, 2017
Matthew Stafford and Andrew Luck are the two highest paid players ever, and neither is currently a Top 10 QB. Absolutely unbelievable. https://t.co/zhTnjgsfHR
— nick wright (@getnickwright) August 29, 2017
Matthew Stafford is 1-25 on the road against teams with a winning record. Now he’s the highest paid player in NFL history.
1. And. 25.
— Packers Stuff (@Packers_Stuff) August 29, 2017
Matthew Stafford, who has never won a playoff game, is now the highest paid player in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/cmMyIxo3wb
— Mike Nash (@MikeNash15) August 29, 2017
Am I the only football fan that hasn’t gone insane? This is not a weird move at all. Stafford has accounted for 79 percent of the Lions offense, which is more than any other quarterback in the league.
Since 2011, Matthew Stafford has accounted for 79% of the Lions offense.
That is the most by any player for any team.
— Paul Hembekides (@PaulHembo) August 29, 2017
Matthew Stafford is only 29 years old, he has had to carry the franchise out of a 0-16 season, his defenses have never been great and Detroit’s run game during his tenure has been a complete joke. Despite all that, Stafford has thrown for over 30,000 yards, 187 touchdowns, and averaged 278 yards a game.
Matthew Stafford: has averaged 278.0 passing yards in his career, the most over a player’s first 8 seasons in NFL history https://t.co/nwirdN9d4v
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 29, 2017
Keep in mind, he got murdered by opposing defenses some of those years because his offensive line couldn’t have stopped a pass rush from myself. The Lions lost Calvin Johnson, arguably the greatest receiver to ever play the game, and Stafford turned around and brought the team back to the playoffs.
I guess maybe facts just don’t matter in sports anymore. If facts mattered in sports, we wouldn’t even need to be having this dumb debate about whether or not Stafford’s deal is a great one.