Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff changed the narrative surrounding him big time during a brilliant 2022 season for the former No. 1 pick.
For most, Goff was seen as a financial throw-in when Detroit dealt longtime starting quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2021 season. At the very least, Goff would be nothing more than a stopgap option in Detroit.
Fast forward two calendar years, and the Lions view Goff as much more than that. Despite selecting former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Detroit’s brass is discussing a contract extension with Goff.
“Yeah, we’ve had dialogue there and we’ve had dialogue with his agent. We’re in a good place right now,” Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes on Jared Goff contract extension talks.
Still only 28 years old, Goff is signed through the 2024 season. There certainly isn’t a deadline when it comes to locking him up long-term. But apparently, the Lions would like to get something done before the 2023 season gets going.
Holmes also touched on the selection of Hooker after the Heisman candidate suffered a torn ACL with the Volunteers last season. With the presence of Goff, Detroit doesn’t think that there’s real pressure to get Hooker on the field as a rookie.
“That’s a great thing about Hendon and him falling into the situation he’s in now,” Holmes said. “There’s no pressure. He can get healthy. When he’s ready to go out there, he’ll be out there. We’ll make sure that we’re smart with how we kind of manage his rehab.”
Hooker was getting some play in the first round of the recently completed NFL Draft. He ultimately fell to the Lions at pick No. 68. It was represented too much value for the Lions to pass up on.
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The No. 1 overall pick of the Rams back in 2016, Goff got off to a great start to his career. The former Cal-Berkeley standout tallied a combined 60 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions in 2017 and 2018, leading Los Angeles to the Super Bowl following the 2018 season.
Goff fell off the map in his final two seasons with the Rams, leading to his involvement in the aforementioned Matthew Stafford blockbuster. After a down 2021 season in Detroit, he turned it around big time this past year.
- Jared Goff stats (2022): 65.1% completion, 4,438 yards, 29 TD, 7 INT, 99.3 QB rating
Goff’s performance helped the Lions post a surprising 9-8 record in 2022. The team won eight of 10 after starting 1-6 and nearly inched into the playoffs. Holmes and Co. love the dynamic they have on offense led by Goff.
“It’s a lot easier to get worse at QB than to get better at QB. I do think that Jared has proven that he’s the best quarterback for us,” Holmes said of Jared Goff back in January. “I never deemed him as a bridge. I think everybody else did, but I think it was a little bit of recency bias.”
It remains to be seen whether the selection of Hooker changes things here. For now, it seems that the Lions are sold on Goff as their quarterback of the present and future.
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