Brad Holmes doesn't know what else he can say about Jared Goff. And really, Goff's performance speaks for itself.
Coming off his third season with the Lions, Goff is in line to sign an extension with the team this offseason that will pay him upwards of $50 million per year. In this quarterback market, that's how much his production says he's worth.
In 2017, the Lions signed Matthew Stafford to an extension that briefly made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $27 million per year. By 2020, his final season in Detroit, Stafford wasn't even among the top 10. The same thing will likely happen with Goff as the salary cap increases and quarterback salaries continue to soar.
Goff currently ranks 16th among quarterbacks with average annual salary of $33.5 million. He's easily been one of the 10 best players at his position over the past two seasons, ranking second in the NFL in passing yards, third in touchdowns and fourth in quarterback wins over that stretch, with a passer rating of 98.6. He said last week he's "loved every second of my time here and would love more."
His current deal runs through next season, hence the timing for an extension. Holmes and the Lions won't want a cloud of uncertainty over Goff in 2024, not to mention the distraction of negotiations.
"We meet with all of our players, whether it's a player that’s eligible for an extension or a player that’s an upcoming free agent," Holmes said Monday. "That’s paramount in our organization, is the communication standpoint. But in terms of Jared, look, I’ve always had belief in Jared. You guys have always heard me."
Holmes, indeed, has backed Goff since he acquired him in the Stafford trade in 2021. When the rest of the world viewed Goff as a reject of the Rams and a bridge quarterback in Detroit, Holmes insisted the Lions could build a winner around Goff after watching him help the Rams win two division titles and make the Super Bowl in his first two seasons as an NFL starter. Goff has proved Holmes right.
He led the Lions to their first division title in 30 years this season. And for those who wanted to see more, Goff became the first Lions quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win two playoff games in the same season, throwing four touchdowns, no picks and posting a passer rating of 103.3 in Detroit's run to the NFC title game.
"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," said Holmes, adding, "Just couldn’t be more proud of everything he’s achieved.”
Holmes, who had a big hand in the Rams' decision to draft Goff first overall in 2016, said he "didn’t understand why his career was defined after he went to a Super Bowl in his second year as a full-time starter."
"So when he came to us, I always had belief," said Holmes. "Him doing what he did this past year or even the year before, it's not a surprise to us. I just know how he’s wired. I know the talent he has, I know the leadership he has, I know his mental and physical toughness. I know what he’s made about. And I think his peers, and definitely his teammates, recognize the same things."
There are 12 NFL quarterbacks who currently make at least $40 million per year, eight who make at least $45 million and four who make more than $50 million: Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow. Hurts and Jackson signed five-year deals last offseason worth $255 million and $260 million, respectively.
It's the cap hit that really matters when it comes to roster building, and Goff's was actually the third highest in the NFL this season. It projects as the 11th highest next season, and there are ways to manipulate an extension to keep that number down on the front end of a deal. Fact is, Goff has played his way into a massive payday, which is a good thing for his team.
And it might not look so massive with each passing year.