The Detroit Lions' brass is even more tied at the hip than earlier in the week.
The Lions announced Friday they agreed to terms with general manager Bob Quinn on a contract extension that matches the one given to new head coach Matt Patricia. Each contract is for five years, running through 2022, a source informed of the situation told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Detroit hopes pairing the two former New England Patriots will provide stability for at least the next five years.
"I am pleased that we have reached an agreement with Bob on an extension to his contract," Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford said in a statement. "I believe the Lions' football organization is well positioned for success under his leadership together with the addition of our new head coach, Matt Patricia."
"Thank you to Mrs. Ford, her family and Rod Wood for their continued support and belief in my ability to lead this football team," Quinn said in a statement. "My goals and vision remain unchanged and I will continue to work diligently at improving this team and every facet of the football operation. Coach Patricia and I will always work in close concert on any and all football-related matters. That process is underway as our coaching and player personnel staffs are collectively preparing for the roster building phase of the off-season."
Both Quinn and Patricia spoke this week about how their relationship can create cohesiveness and sustainability between the front office and the product on the field.
"I think in general, Bob and I have a lot of experience and history together and we believe in a lot of the same things as far as when you look at and evaluate players, how a team should be run, how it should be coached," Patricia said at his introductory news conference on Wednesday. "So there is a great background that we both share. And, honestly, a common ground that we both understand is how we both envision a team being run. That's what makes it a great match for Bob and I to be in this situation. We can work together and try to put a team in place that we feel represents what we believe in and what we want the Detroit Lions to look like. Hopefully that product will show up on the field. And after, hopefully you have some success at that point. That's when you start calling it 'The Lions Way.' We've got a long way to go before we have any particular 'Way' in which we'll call our own."
Now the duo will try to create their own "Way" with identical contract lengths.
