Jared Goff arrived in Detroit talking about his plan to 'put us over the top.' A year later, there are at least murmurs of Detroit drafting Goff's successor.
Which is fine by Goff, who believes in his place in the Lions' long-term plans.
"There’s no way for me to control it," Goff said Thursday a week before the draft. "What do I make of the talk? The talk is always just talk. If it happens, great, I’ll deal with it from there and be the best player I can. If it doesn’t, then you guys probably won’t talk about it again. It’s the way the media cycle works. Again, I trust those guys up top and they’ve expressed confidence in me, so I’m excited."
If Brad Holmes and the Lions do draft a quarterback next week, which still feels like a long-shot, it wouldn't be Goff's immediate replacement. It would be his pupil. The Lions would want Goff, a two-time Pro Bowler who's been to the Super Bowl, to take the rookie under his wing.
And if that's the case, Goff (kind of, sort of) said he'll be happy to play the veteran mentor, the way Case Keenum did for Goff in his rookie season with the Rams before Goff took over as starter.
"I think, yeah, maybe. I mean, I’ve always liked helping younger guys. I have no idea, I’ve never been in that position. But I don’t know, I’m sure I would be the same guy I am and be helpful if I felt like it," he said with a knowing sort of smirk.
The Lions are highly unlikely to draft a quarterback No. 2 overall. They want a 'Day 1 starter' with that pick as part of their larger plan to try to build around Goff. They could take a quarterback at No. 32 if the right one's available, or try to trade up if the right one falls. Malik Willis is the most likely candidate. The Lions also brought in Kenny Pickett for a visit this week.
None of it matters much to Goff, who was one of the NFL's best quarterbacks down the stretch last season after a rough start in Detroit and doesn't take any extra motivation from what the Lions might (but probably won't) do in the draft.
"I’m always trying to be the best I can be, always trying to prove myself right and prove the doubters wrong," said Goff. "But no, anytime you win three games, there’s going to be discussion at a lot of positions and quarterback is no different. I’ve gotta prove myself every year, every day and be the best I can every day."
Goff also spoke on Thursday about his excitement to play with newly-signed wide receiver DJ Chark, his advice for his young teammates on appearing on 'Hard Knocks' this summer and his reaction to watching the Rams win the Super Bowl without him.
On Chark: "I reached out to him immediately and said hello and excited to have him and have stayed in touch with him since. He’s a fun guy to talk to, a lot of energy and I’m really excited to work with him. I’ve seen him from afar and talked to Blake Bortles briefly about him, I know he played with him for a year, and good things to say about him. Everyone I’ve heard has good things to say. I know he can run, I know he can catch and those are probably the only things I care about."
On Hard Knocks, where he was featured as a rookie: "It’s not as bad as you think it is, is the first thing I’ll say. But I think for the young guys, it’s always hard because they don’t know any better, to an extent. I was a victim of it myself. You have to be careful what you say and when you say it and which cameras are around. But for the most part, they’re trying to make us look good, the NFL is trying to make Detroit look good and they’re on our side, but you do have to be careful."
On watching the Rams win it all: "I was happy for them. So many lifelong friends, so many teammates and coaches that I was with for so long that I know were striving to accomplish that, and they earned it. They deserved it. They worked hard and earned it, so we’re so happy for them. And then for me personally, just continue to get better. It has nothing to do with what they’ve done. I need to get better myself and bring the Lions where we need to be.