AP

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is set to enter the final year of his contract with the Detroit Lions this fall. And while becoming a free agent is highly unlikely with the Lions’ ability to use the franchise tag, General Manager Bob Quinn is hoping it won’t come to do that.

In an interview with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on Sirius XM NFL Radio, Quinn said the team has already begun early discussions on a new deal with Stafford’s representatives.

“We’re in the early stages,” Quinn said Wednesday. “It’s really too early to kind of give any update but we’re going through the process. These things don’t happen overnight.

“I feel confident we can get something done.”

Stafford is scheduled to make $16.5 million with the Lions this season. It’s the final year of a five-year deal he signed with Detroit in 2013.

The franchise tag value for quarterbacks this offseason was over $21 million, which will likely provide some sort of a baseline for negotiations between the two sides.