Lions Create $4.8M Of 2020 Cap Space By Reworking Matthew Stafford’s Contract

Field Yates of ESPN reports that the Lions converted QB Matthew Stafford’s 2020 $6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus that will be prorated.

• Justin Rogers has confirmed that the Lions added a voidable year to Stafford’s contract as part of the proration. 

This move created $4.8 million of 2020 cap space for the Lions to work with next year.

OverTheCap.com projected the Lions to have $42,527,540 of cap space to work with in 2020 before this move. 

Lions WR Kenny Golladay is line for an extension and Detroit will have some notable free agents next year including DT Mike Daniels, WR Danny Amendola, CB Rashaan Melvin, G Graham Glasgow and DL A’Shawn Robinson, so this gives them some extra room to work with.

Stafford was placed on injured reserve a few weeks ago after missing several weeks with non-displaced fractures in the upper thoracic spine.

Stafford, 31, is a former first-round pick of the Lions back in 2009. He was in the final year of his five-year, $76.5 million contract when he and the Lions agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension back in 2017.

Stafford stands to make base salaries of $13.5 million and $15 million over the next two years of the agreement.

In 2019, Stafford appeared in eight games and completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also rushed for 66 yards.