Lions GM Bob Quinn 'confident' a Matthew Stafford deal will get done Bob Quinn said he hopes to have an extension in place for his franchise quarterback 'later this summer'

Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Lions Twitter mailbag: Roster issues, Decker, rookies and more Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett fielded your questions from Twitter on Monday as we are in between minicamp and training camp.

The Detroit Lions are targeting this summer to finalize a contract extension with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and all signs continue to point to the parties finding common ground on a deal.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn told SiriusXM NASCAR radio over the weekend that he’s “confident” a deal will get done.

“Nothing to report right now,” Quinn told Claire B. Lang at the Firekeepers Casino 400 from Michigan International Speedway. “We’re working towards that and hopefully we have some news later in the summer.”

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The Lions are expected to make Stafford the highest paid player in the NFL at an average annual salary of more than $25 million per season.

Stafford, who has one year left on the extension he signed in 2013, has said repeatedly that he’s not worried about his new deal, though prevailing wisdom is that he’ll wait until potential contracts with Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr are done before finalizing his contract.

Cousins has until July 17 to get a new deal or he’ll play this season on the franchise tag, while Carr has a self-imposed deadline of the start of training camp for his new contract.

“I’m not too worried about what those guys do," Stafford said at Lions minicamp last week. "I’m just worried about trying to get better out here. That’s pretty much all I can say. This time of year to me is football time. I’m out here playing football, trying to get better to help this team win.”

Quinn said the Lions have “a great working relationship” with Stafford’s agent, Tom Condon, and he said he believes the two sides will come to an agreement “eventually.”

Stafford, 29 and coming off his third playoff appearance in eight NFL seasons, is set to make $16.5 million this fall. Last year, he made the Pro Bowl as an alternate after leading eight come-from-behind victories, but couldn't play in the game because of a finger injury he sustained late in the season.

“Always have positive thinking,” Quinn said. “But I’ve said this a bunch of times. It takes two sides to do a deal and I feel confident that we’ll get something done.”

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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