Lions GM Brad Holmes didn't have much to say this week when asked about extension talks with Jared Goff. But make no mistake: Goff is the Lions' guy. He just led the team to its first division title in 30 years and within 30 minutes of the Super Bowl.
"Obviously Jared did a great job and collectively as an organization we do have a sense of the direction that we want to go and proceed with Jared and other players that are eligible for those discussions," Holmes said on 97.1 The Ticket. "But out of respect to the player and our process, we keep those conversations internal. Once we have updates we’ll make sure you guys know."
In three seasons in Detroit, Goff has re-established himself as one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. The stats, all of them, bear that out. He's been especially good over the last two seasons, with a passer rating (98.6) that ranks fifth in the NFL. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Brock Purdy have been better.
Goff is under contract through next season with cap hit of $32.3 million in 2024, but the Lions will want to extend him this offseason to chart their path forward and avoid the distraction of their quarterback playing on an expiring deal. Dan Campbell voiced his belief in Goff on Tuesday at the NFL combine when asked about the perception that you can't win a Super Bowl with Goff as your quarterback.
"Yeah, look, I get it because it hasn’t happened yet, just people saying it. But I don’t get it because, I mean, take the NFC championship game. I thought he played a good game for us. He gave us a chance to win that," Campbell said. "And I just feel like, man, since he’s been here I’ve seen a quarterback who’s gotten better and better and better and has grown every year and I would say who’s gotten better under pressure every year and really just risen to the challenge. And he’s more and more confident, he's more comfortable."
Goff threw 30 touchdowns to 12 interceptions this season and had a rating of 97.9. He was even better in the playoffs, with four touchdowns, no picks and a rating of 103.3. He went 25-41 for 273 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' loss to the 49ers in the NFC title game in which they blew a 24-7 halftime lead by really no fault of their quarterback. If Jahmyr Gibbs doesn't fumble or Josh Reynolds doesn't drop a pass that him in the hands, Goff and the Lions probably move on to the Super Bowl.
But we digress.
"I’ve said this before: to me, Jared Goff is a winning quarterback," Campbell said. "You can win in this league with that guy, and you can’t say that for a lot of guys. So I’m glad that he’s here, I’m glad he’s ours. You could argue that he’s grown more than a lot of players we have. People maybe don’t always see that, but he really has, man. For a guy who has been in this league for a little bit but has continued to improve, it’s a credit to him."
It's almost surely a matter of when, not if the Lions extend Goff. It could well happen in the next couple weeks so that Detroit can get its books in order ahead of free agency. A new deal could pay Goff as much as $50 million per year, which isn't as crazy as it sounds, especially with the NFL's salary cap spiking by more than $30 million in 2024.
Fact is, Goff has earned the payday coming his way, which is a good thing for his team.
"I don’t know what more needs to be said from a leadership or performance standpoint, or what more he needs to do in that regard," Holmes said earlier this month. "Just couldn’t be more proud of everything he’s achieved.”