All signs point to things not being contentious, and everything points toward it likely being done sometime after the draft. There is plenty of time to get it done. But until the Lions and Jared Goff reach the finish line on a contract extension, there will be a sliver of doubt for some people.
As each quarterback who gets a new deal gets more, or gets a fully guaranteed deal, the price goes up for those who come after them to get new contracts. Goff is not going to reset the top of the market, but a rising tide raises all ships and $50 million per year in his new deal is not a huge stretch for the Lions' signal caller.
Any time a lot of money and a chunk of future years is involved, it's a complicated negotiation. The Lions and Goff's camp will come together to get a deal done barring something unforeseen, and it won't be time to worry at all for a few more months. If a deal is not done by the start of training camp though, there will be natural questions.
NFL insider highlights potential urgency to get Jared Goff contract done
In a long column rooted in draft buzz, etc., to kickoff the week of the event, Albert Breer of SI.com touched on the contract talks for another quarterback in the league-Trevor Lawrence.
"The Jacksonville Jaguars are smart to get going on Trevor Lawrence’s extension now. It’s not going to get cheaper, and he’s been good enough to commit to over the next few years (easy for me to say when it’s not my money)."
Then, along the same "it's not going to get cheaper" and "good enough to commit to" line, Breer dropped a punch line about the ongoing contract talks between the Lions and Goff.
"Ditto for Jared Goff in Detroit."
Breer is not the first NFL insider to hint at some level of urgency for the Lions to get Goff's deal done. ESPN's Adam Schefter did the same earlier this month, within the same idea about the cost only rising as other quarterback deals also loom.
Again, it's not even close to time to worry and the two sides want to stay together. But Breer used a note about the contract talks for another quarterback as a launch point to say the same about the Lions with Goff. That might be backed by insight he has gotten, or maybe it's not. But it is interesting, and almost weirdly concise.