The Detroit Lions Have an Unfortunate NFL Record for Paying QBs

This offseason, the Detroit Lions paid Jared Goff quite comfortably to be the long-term starter for the franchise after leading the team to an NFC Championship Game appearance for the first time in over 30 years.

In doing so, the Lions cemented him as one of the top-12 highest-paid players in NFL history and one of the top-3 highest-paid players in franchise history.

That puts him in the company of former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, the second-highest-paid player in NFL history and the highest-paid player in Lions history.

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The Lions are one of six teams to have paid multiple quarterbacks among the top-12 highest-paid players alongside the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams. The Lions are one of three teams to not win a Super Bowl with at least one of the quarterbacks they paid so handsomely.

Unfortunately for the Lions, they hold the distinction for spending the most money on a quarterback without a Super Bowl trophy to show for it.

Between Goff and Stafford, the Lions have shelled out approximately $369,775,000, according to OverTheCap.

The Falcons are a (relatively) close second to the Lions at $319,500,000 between Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins. However, Ryan did at least win an MVP and take Atlanta to Super Bowl LI.

The Chargers are a more distant third at $231,833,000. That is between just Philip Rivers and Drew Brees. Justin Herbert's career earnings will soon be included in the equation though. He signed a 5 year, $262.5 million extension last offseason.

To find even a single team that has spent more money at the quarterback position than the Lions regardless of success, you'd have to include the top-21 highest-paid quarterbacks in the history of the NFL so that Brett Favre's career earnings bring the Green Bay Packers to over $400 million between him and Aaron Rodgers. Of course, the Packers won a Super Bowl with both players.

*This is a good place for a disclaimer that I couldn't find any information on which NFL franchises have spent the most on quarterbacks all time. While that's an interesting conversation, the time and math required to determine that is overwhelming and not particularly relevant to the subject of this article.

Between Herbert's contract and the Super Bowl aspirations for the Lions and Chargers in the coming years, something has to give on this unfortunate record for Detroit. So, the silver lining is that it won't be something looming over the franchise for much longer no matter how the next few seasons end. That is unless Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers win a Super Bowl before the Lions do.

Nonetheless, it is quite a fitting record for the long-lamented franchise from the Motor City. Here's hoping they break it on their own terms by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time soon.