Brad Holmes, the NFL executive who helped evaluate, draft and would later trade for the man of the hour, telegraphed this move nearly 16 months ago. He said it’s easier to get worse at the game’s most important position than it is to get better, whenever he was asked about his quarterback’s future in Detroit. He told anyone who would listen that he never viewed his QB as the bridge to another. Over the past three years, at seemingly every opportunity, Holmes has backed Jared Goff in every way a general manager could. Except one.
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That changed Monday.
The Detroit Lions and Goff agreed to a four-year contract extension worth up to $212 million, with a reported $170 million guaranteed. It’s a deal that makes Goff one of the NFL’s highest-paid QBs. It makes for an exciting time to be a fan of this franchise. And for the Lions, it makes the next chapter in their evolution very real — whether they’re ready or not.
The story of how the Lions got here doubles as a blueprint for a successful modern NFL rebuild. Their first season under Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell was a foundational year. They used it to establish their identity, bringing in players with strong work ethics and high character to set the tone for what was to come. Goff was one of them.
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When he first arrived in Detroit in 2021, nothing about the situation Goff inherited hinted he’d be where he is today. His confidence was at an all-time low — shattered after going from a Super Bowl-caliber face of the franchise to the other guy in a trade that put his former team over the top. The Los Angeles Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in their first year post-Goff, with former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford serving as the missing piece. Goff’s Lions, meanwhile, went 3-13-1 as he recorded his worst statistical season since his 2016 rookie year.
Even then, though, Goff saw the vision in Detroit. He told himself he wasn’t going to bow out gracefully, left to live the nomadic life of an NFL stopgap. He believed these Lions could figure it out together. And ultimately, that he could be the one who leads this franchise to the sort of success unseen in a generation.
“That’s the only thing that drives me,” Goff said, ahead of the 2022 season. “Winning with this group of guys, there would be nothing more special. I think that’s what we all see as such a great opportunity with what happened last year … what’s happened over here over the last handful of years. The opportunity in front of us with what we think we can do is special. Maybe once in a career to turn it around this quickly.”
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Those comments, much like Goff’s game, have aged like fine wine. Over the past two seasons, Goff has thrown for 9,013 yards and 59 touchdowns, resurrecting a career many thought was left for dead. Team success accompanied his own, particularly this past season. A 12-5 record. A division title for the first time in 30 years. Two playoff wins and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. The 2023 season was one to remember in Detroit. You could feel the buzz in the city during the Lions’ playoff run. And you could feel the love Detroit fans have for Goff.
LCA chanting “Ja-Red Goff” during the Red Wings game pic.twitter.com/OfJ1CxgQuF
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) January 26, 2024
Jared Goff chants have broken out at Little Caesars Arena #DetroitBasketball #OnePride pic.twitter.com/b6qOuGBp5N
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) January 27, 2024
Ja-red GOFF! Ja-red GOFF!#AllGrit pic.twitter.com/NGBoC8KRMN
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 15, 2024
Goff has become a trusted voice on this team. As the Lions clinched a playoff berth for the first time under this regime last season, young players who had never been to the postseason leaned on him about what to expect. When they were matched up against Stafford’s Rams, Goff’s Lions teammates wanted nothing more than to get the win for him. His impact on the roster is real, and it’s why the Lions made sure to keep him around as they enter what should be a window of contention.
“I’ve always had belief in Jared,” Holmes, who spent 18 seasons with the Rams, said in February. “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. … 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 (of) and I think his peers, and definitely his teammates, recognize the same things. … Just couldn’t be more proud of everything he’s achieved.”
Goff is now the highest-paid player in franchise history. He’s the face of a Lions team that is ready to win. And with that comes the sort of demanding expectations and challenges of being a contender with a payroll set to skyrocket.
Goff’s contract is the third big-money extension the team has dished out this offseason, along with deals given to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and right tackle Penei Sewell as part of a $444 million spending spree. A hefty price, but one the Lions had to pay to ensure their core stayed intact. These contracts are set to kick in around the same time. When they do, the honeymoon phase we see now could come to an abrupt end if the team fails to win it all. Super Bowl or bust will be the expectation.
The @Lions locked up their guys this offseason:
💰 Jared Goff: 4-year, $212 million extension
💰 Amon-Ra St. Brown: 4-year, $120 million extension
💰 Penei Sewell: 4 -year, $112 million extension pic.twitter.com/8abxLnmKpR— NFL (@NFL) May 13, 2024
It’s worth noting that Goff certainly hasn’t achieved this success alone. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the man often credited with Goff’s turnaround following the departure of former OC Anthony Lynn, has become one of the most sought-after assistants in the league. Despite turning down head coaching opportunities the past two cycles, he’ll remain a hot commodity as long as his unit (No. 3 in total offense and No. 5 in scoring offense last season) continues to soar. He’s comfortable in Detroit, but if the right opportunity presents itself, Johnson could depart. There’s no guarantee the next coordinator will have the same success.
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With Goff, Sewell and St. Brown taking up a higher percentage of the cap in future years, the Lions likely won’t be able to re-sign everyone set to hit the market. Contenders have to let good players walk each year to remain under the cap. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill, left tackle Taylor Decker, cornerback Carlton Davis III, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu and linebacker Derrick Barnes are all free agents next year. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (extension-eligible next season) and tight end Sam LaPorta (eligible the following offseason) both have a chance to reset the market at their positions. That’s just to name a few on the horizon.
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Committing to Goff was the long-expected move, but one that could come at the expense of others. He’s widely regarded outside of Detroit as a good, but not elite, starting quarterback who struggles to create when the pocket breaks down and benefits from a strong supporting cast. But at some point, the Lions will have to sacrifice talent and let certain players walk, picking and choosing their spots due to the NFL’s salary cap. Between Johnson’s potential departure, and the challenge of retaining key players as Detroit’s cap flexibility dwindles, how might Goff respond to a weaker structure around him?
It’s certainly possible he does what he has always done in his career — bounce back. We’ll just need to see it. It’s the next narrative Goff will have to shake, following Monday’s news.
In the meantime, what we do know is that the Lions are going all-in. And why wouldn’t they? The same folks who identified the core of a Lions team that finished one game shy of a Super Bowl appearance are the ones making sure it remains in place, so they can get back and win it all. They’ve addressed their biggest needs. They’ve added talent they hope will get them over the hump. And they’ve begun the process of taking care of their own.
Goff, a player who has taken on the identity of the city his team resides in and emerged in ways few believed was possible, is one of them.
This extension proves that.
(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
