Jared Goff was set to have a cap hit of about $25 million in his first season with the Lions. Now it's down to $10 million.
Detroit has restructured Goff's contract by converting $20 million of his salary into a signing bonus, according to Field Yates.
The move will save the Lions $15 million in cap space in 2021, while adding $5 million to their cap each season from 2022-24. It signals another commitment to Goff on the part of Detroit's front office.
Prior to the restructure, the Lions could have cut Goff after the 2022 season at zero cap cost over the ensuing two years. Not anymore. Goff will now carry a dead cap hit of $10 million in 2023 and $5 million in 2024, according to Spotrac.
Moreover, his dead cap hit in 2022 increases from $15.5 million to $30.5 million. So Goff is certain to be on Detroit's roster for the next two seasons, and likely the next three.
This shouldn't come as a surprise. While many felt the Lions took on Goff's contract in the Matthew Stafford trade in order to boost their return from the Rams, GM Brad Holmes said last week that was never the case.
"Part of the compensation that we received in the trade, and I know a lot of people talk about the picks, but a lot of it was Jared, just the fact of being able to acquire Jared," Holmes said.
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Holmes, who lobbied for the Rams to draft Goff first overall in 2016 when he was the club's director of college scouting, made it clear the Lions view the two-time Pro Bowler as a long-term option at quarterback.
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"He’s a proven winner," Holmes said. "His resume speaks for itself. He’s won a lot of games. He has postseason success, at home, on the road, played in the Super Bowls. He’s going to be a big part of what we’re doing going forward."