Mark Brunell left his life in Jacksonville, where he hosted his own sports radio show, to become quarterbacks coach of the Lions for one simple reason.
"Dan Campbell," Brunell said Wednesday. "Dan Campbell all day long. Getting the opportunity to work for somebody that I have expected and admired for a long time, it was an opportunity I could not refuse."
Brunell and Campbell were teammates in New Orleans in 2009 and have maintained a friendship since. Once Campbell reached out to him this offseason, Brunell said "it did not take me long to let him know I was very interested in working for him."
But there's another perk of joining the Lions for Brunell: he gets to coach Jared Goff.
"I cannot wait to get him on the field and see what he can do in person," Brunell said. "I’ve seen a lot of tape, I’ve seen some incredible plays, some incredible games and I’m absolutely thrilled to coach this young man. He can’t get here soon enough."
Brunell, like Goff, enjoyed lots of success early in his career. He made three Pro Bowls and four trips to the playoffs in his first five years as a starter and spent a total of 17 seasons in the NFL. He knows the demands of winning at this level, and he believes Goff's got what it takes. Goff comes to Detroit with a 42-27 record, plus two Pro Bowls and three trips to the playoffs in his first four years as a starter.
To be a winning NFL quarterback, Brunell said one attribute is more important than any other.
"At the top of the list for me, it would have to be passion, a passion to be great," he said. "There are other factors, of course, but you have to love the game. You have to want it, you have to be consumed by it. While you’re in the NFL, while you’re a starting QB, it has to be what you eat sleep and drink. You’re consumed by winning a championship, being the leader, understanding how important your role is to leading an organization. It’s about presence and leadership, work ethic and attitude and I think all that falls under that passion that you have to have for the game. And not just for the game, but being great at the game. That’s critical. And I believe our QB has that, which is exciting."
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Based on his early conversations with Goff, mostly over Zoom, Brunell said Detroit's new QB "can’t wait to get here, he can’t wait to work. He’s already spent some time with his teammates just laying the groundwork for this season, a season that he believes and we all believe can be really special, and it really starts with him. He has that passion, and that’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to coach him."
Rams head coach Sean McVay once spoke about Goff in the same tones. The duo took the NFL by storm in their first two seasons in LA. Goff threw 60 touchdowns to 19 picks, posted a passer rating over 100.0 and nearly helped deliver the franchise's first championship since The Greatest Show on Turf in 1999.
But things went south the last two seasons. Goff struggled to run McVay's offense behind a banged-up offensive line and their relationship deteriorated. He threw 42 touchdowns to 19 picks and posted a rating under 90.0, leading the Rams to dump him for Matthew Stafford. He arrives in Detroit with a point to prove.
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Brunell said he's watched film of all of Goff's games the last three years and isn't concerned about the way things ended in LA.
"I'll tell you exactly how I feel about Jared Goff and who he is to me and the Detroit Lions: very talented, hard-working, positive attitude. Everything that you’re looking for. A competitive quarterback that's won 42 games (as an NFL starter) in addition to leading a team to a Super Bowl. That’s who we’re getting. That’s who I get to coach," said Brunell.
Their interactions have been virtual to this point, but Brunell said Goff has already impressed him with his football IQ.
"He’s very bright. He has picked up this offense. He's very hungry, very motivated. Honestly he has just been incredible," said Brunell.
Only time will tell which version of Goff the Lions are getting: the one who earned a $134 million contract, or the one who failed to fulfill it? Looking toward the future, Brunell believes in the former.
"Listen, we’re about going forward," he said. "Regardless of what has happened with Jared Goff the last couple years, that’s not our business. We’re about him becoming the best player he can become."