Lions' Matthew Stafford: Starts contract talks with Lions

Stafford (finger) is in the early stages of negotiating a contract extension with the Lions, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports.

Analysis:

Stafford is entering the last season of the five-year, $76.5 million extension he signed back in 2013, so the Lions hope to lock him in on another long-term deal before preparations for the upcoming campaign intensify. Although it reportedly could be a few months before Stafford inks his contract, the fact that his representatives and the Lions have engaged recently signals the start of that process. With Jim Bob Cooter serving as his offensive coordinator for most of the past two seasons, Stafford has put together his two best campaigns in terms of completion percentage as well as two of his three best touchdown-to-interception ratios.