The New England Patriots recently extended quarterback Tom Brady to help their salary cap number, and the Detroit Lions are hoping to complete a similar move with Matthew Stafford. The Lions have begun talks with Stafford on a contract extension, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com.

Talks are still in the preliminary stage, as nothing is pressing at this point, according to Breer.

This is a largely expected move. Lions’ president Tom Lewand said earlier this month that the team wanted to reach an agreement on a new deal with the 25-year-old Stafford. While he told reporters that the team’s goal of extending Stafford was to ensure he’s their quarterback for a long time, it also offers a short-term fix for the salary cap.

Stafford is set to earn $12 million in 2013, but his cap hit is a whopping $20.3 million. This is the third-highest in the NFL, behind only the Manning brothers.