The Lions don't plan to negotiate a contract extension with Matthew Stafford during the season.

The team has made no secret about its desire to get a long-term deal worked out, but there is no rush to do so. Stafford still has two years left on his contract. "We've still got discussions to have, but at some point in time, we'll either get a deal done, or we'll focus on football," president Tom Lewand said. It doesn't appear that the two sides will come to terms this summer.

MLive.com's Anwar Richardson doesn't believe a Matthew Stafford contract extension will happen this offseason.

The Lions met with Stafford's representatives in February, but talks never got off the ground. The 25-year-old has stated that he's willing to accept less to stay in Detroit, but it's in his best interests to wait. He could make more money if the Lions go back to the playoffs and win a postseason game. Stafford has two years and a club option left on his current contract, so there's no rush.

Matthew Stafford says he only wants "fair-market value" with his impending extension, and that he's willing to take less so the Lions can spend more on his supporting cast.

"I want talent around me, frankly," Stafford said Tuesday. "Everywhere in the league you see guys breaking records with how much they're making and all that kind of stuff. ... I don't really care about breaking (salary) records too much. I want to break records on the field." It's a noble sentiment, but "fair-market value" for Stafford will still easily exceed $50 million guaranteed. The Detroit Free Press considers it "just a matter of time" before the sides agree to an extension.

After spending his first few NFL offseasons down south, Matthew Stafford has been a regular at the Lions' facility this spring.

"There is not a guy that's done more for this franchise in this offseason than Matthew Stafford," said club president Tom Lewand. "The guy's been in the building every day. He's been living here the entire offseason." Also helping to "recruit" free agents like Reggie Bush, Stafford is improving his case for a hefty long-term extension. The Detroit Free Press calls it "just a matter of time" before the sides strike a deal worth over $100 million.

GM Martin Mayhew said there hasn't been any progress on Matthew Stafford's contract extension talks yet.

Stafford has two years left on the six-year, $72 million deal he signed as a rookie in 2009. The Lions will have to make him one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league, but a new deal would also free up some cap space. Stafford's 2013 cap number is a whopping $20.8 million even though his base salary is only $12.5 million. "It's going to be a process to get that done and we're working on getting it done now," Mayhew said.

NFL Network's Albert Breer confirms the Lions have held preliminary extension talks with Matthew Stafford.

"Nothing pressing at this point," added Breer. This is old news, though, as the local writers have been on top of the matter since earlier in the month. Stafford's 2013 cap hit sits at $20.8 million, but president Tom Lewand says the possible extension won't be for salary cap purposes, rather that Detroit still holds the former No. 1 pick in high regard.

The Lions met with Matthew Stafford's agent Thursday, beginning long-term talks.

GM Martin Mayhew says the sides had "good talks." Stafford's 2013 cap hit is a formidable $20.8 million, making an extension a near necessity for the Lions. The No. 1 pick of the 2009 draft has two years left on his rookie contract. He should get locked up sooner rather than later.

Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand said it is important to rework quarterback Matthew Stafford's current contract, but not for salary-cap relief.

'The reason to have an extension with Matthew, just like the reason to have the extension with Calvin [Johnson] last year, was to secure their services for a long period of time," said Lewand. Stafford has two more years remaining on his contract, and will earn a base salary of $12 million in 2013, but his salary cap hit is $20.8 million. He will earn $11 million in 2014 ($19.3 million salary cap number) and $15 million in 2015 ($17.7 million salary cap number). Johnson's extension dropped his cap number for 2012 from $21 million to $11.5 million, and the Lions could free up a similar amount of room with a new deal for Stafford.

According to Lions GM Martin Mayhew, there hasn't been a "whole lot of dialog" about extending Matthew Stafford's contract, but it remains a priority.

It's a priority because Stafford is currently set to count a staggering $20.82 million against the cap. Stafford is also only signed through 2015, while the going rate for franchise quarterbacks is continuing to skyrocket. A major discount is unlikely, but locking Stafford up coming off a down season should be a calculated risk worth taking for the Lions.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Matthew Stafford received a $500,000 performance bonus in his contract for 2013.

Stafford's base salary is now $12.5 million, and his cap number has increased to $20.82 million. The Lions have stated that they intend to renegotiate or extend Stafford this offseason, and haven't lost faith in him as their franchise quarterback. Stafford is currently singed through 2014 with a $15 million option for 2015.