MIAMI -- Nate Burleson was a pretty good receiver while playing with Matthew Stafford in Detroit, but has really found his niche in retirement as a burgeoning TV star. He’s already a staple on NFL Network, including the hit show “Good Morning Football,” while also contributing to CBS’ pregame show on Sundays.

He works with former Giants quarterback Phil Simms at the latter gig, and they had an off-camera conversation about the future of the quarterback position that has stuck with Burleson for nearly two years.

“He said there’s going to be a point where teams are going to walk away from handicapping themselves by paying these quarterbacks big money if they’re not getting these teams into the playoffs or to the Super Bowl,” Burleson said during Super Bowl week in Miami. "And I was like, ‘When? When is that going come?’ And he said sooner than later.

“What’s funny is when he said that, the first person that came to my mind was Matt Stafford. Not because I don’t think he’s worth (the money), but I do think there are going to be teams that are going to use the financially responsible approach.”

Make no mistake, Burleson still loves Matthew Stafford. He enjoyed his best seasons playing in Detroit, catching 194 passes for 2,083 yards in four seasons. He’s seen him make all kinds of crazy throws. But he also believes the cold-hard truth is it just might be time for Detroit to begin transitioning into the post-Stafford era, opting for a rookie contract instead at the position instead.

“That’s a long time and a lot of money hanging over his head,” Burleson said.

Stafford still has three years remaining on a contract that pays him an average of $27 million annually. That’s 11th in the league. His cap hit next season is $21.3 million, which ranks 13th among quarterbacks and 22nd among all players. That’s pretty reasonable for a QB who was playing at a top-six level according to all the major statistics before suffering a back injury that sidelined him the final eight games of last season.

Then again, Stafford has now broken his back each of the last two seasons. His cap hit climbs to $33 million in 2021, which is fourth in the league. He also turns 32 next week and still has never won a division title or playoff game in 11 seasons.

With Detroit sitting on the third overall pick in the draft, where it could add a cost-controlled rookie contract at the position, some are wondering whether the time is right to pull the trigger. Several teams have found success using that approach. Seattle is a good example, riding Russell Wilson to back-to-back Super Bowls while he was on a cheap rookie contract. Philadelphia is another with Carson Wentz.

And if Joe Burrow and Chase Young are the first two picks in the draft, as many expect, the Lions would have a shot at Tua Tagovailoa. The former Alabama quarterback once was the favorite to go first overall, but a dislocated hip could has muddied his stock. He’s still firmly a top-10 prospect though, and almost certainly will go in the top five if his medicals check out at the combine.

Many still expect the Lions to build around Stafford rather than replace him, perhaps opting for Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Simmons, Derrick Brown or another playmaker for that struggling defense. But Burleson thinks Tua just might be the answer.

"I think so," Burleson said. "Yeah, he is (on the table). The only thing that would scare me from getting a guy like that is the fact he had that hip injury. And I’ve heard reports that he’s going to be back sooner than later, but yeah, I think so. At this point, you have to consider everything. Like if they were in the playoffs, then I would say you’re crazy. Don’t mess with a good thing. But if you’re sitting at home watching the playoffs like I am -- as a spectator -- then you have to look at every corner of your roster."

The Kansas City Chiefs had a similar decision to make in 2017, when they returned veteran Alex Smith at quarterback. He had some productive seasons in Kansas City, too. That team could have easily stood pat. But they believed so much in a quarterback prospect named Patrick Mahomes that they used the 10 overall pick on him despite already having a franchise quarterback.

Mahomes rode the bench for a year before making his way into the starting lineup in 2018. He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player that year, and has now led Kansas City into a matchup with San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV.

Et tu, Lions?

“Is (Stafford) a guy that’s in the Pat Mahomes conversation?” Burleson said. “Like, ‘Yo, we’re going to keep paying you and hope the guys around you develop?’ Or do we just say, ‘You know what, it’s been real. Your numbers are great, you’re going to go down as a Detroit Lions legend, we’re going to allow you to go somewhere else.'”