DETROIT — On Monday, the Detroit Lions paid quarterback Jared Goff the biggest salary in franchise history. I understand why they did it, but make no mistake: this shifts expectations.
The figures for the Goff transaction are staggering: Four years and $212 million, with $170 million guaranteed. It makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid player in terms of annual value, trailing only Joe Burrow.
Is Goff the NFL’s second-best quarterback? Not a chance. He might not even be in the top ten. But that doesn’t imply it was the wrong decision.
What Goff Brings to the Lions
The Lions weren’t simply paying for Goff’s on-field performance in this agreement. They paid for stability, continuity, and security.
Detroit is entering a period of Super Bowl contention that most fans have never experienced. The offence is heavy, while the defence has playmakers. The next few years should be focused on getting the Lombardi Trophy to Ford Field.
Obviously, the Lions cannot go far without a solid quarterback, and they currently have one.
Goff isn’t a superstar, but he’s talented enough to make it to the Super Bowl. He accomplished it with the Rams, and he would have done it again last year if Josh Reynolds had caught a fourth-down throw.
In the NFL, you should never be looking for a quarterback. Consider the Cleveland Browns, who sought so long that they made a desperation effort to sign Deshawn Watson, which did not work out.
It makes no difference how safe a quarterback appears to be after graduating from college. Ask the Panthers how they feel about Bryce Young right now. For every C.J. Stroud, there are ten Zach Wilsons. You never really know what to expect from a player until you see him in action.
The Lions know exactly what they will receive from Goff over the next four seasons. That is why he was worthy of the commitment.
Goff is also an important part of the culture that Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have established in Detroit. He’s cool and collected, but he’s also adored by his teammates and the community.
We’ve heard “Jared Goff” shouts at the NFL Draft, on flights to away games, at odd stores throughout the country during the playoffs, and even at Comerica Park last night.
Goff has the backing of his coaches, teammates, and fans. So the Lions aren’t simply paying for his performance on the field.
There’s also something to say about Goff’s durability. Since 2017, he has appeared in 110 of his team’s 115 games, including 48 of 51 since moving to Detroit.
Some of that is due to his greatest weakness: mobility. Goff has the ability to make plays with his legs that many of the league’s elite quarterbacks do. However, he experiences less wear and tear as a result.
Rewarding Top Players
This contract also reminded me of what Terrion Arnold stated after the Lions selected him in the first round last month. He was asked about the contract extensions for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell.
“It just shows when you get drafted here, it’s just not one of those things where you just get picked,” Arnold stated. “You might be here, you could have a long-term relationship, and they’re here to keep their players happy. With them accomplishing that, it not only rewards the program, but it also demonstrates the players’ hard work.
On the same day, the Lions made St. Brown the highest-paid receiver in the league, and Sewell the highest-paid offensive lineman. Holmes clearly wants to demonstrate that players who come to Detroit will be rewarded for their accomplishments.
That not only appeals to free agents, but it also serves as motivation for current roster members.
NFC North quarterbacks
Detroit must also accept the realities of what is happening in the rest of the NFC North Division.
Jordan Love appears to be the Packers’ latest quarterback of the future. The 25-year-old became a starter for the first time in 2023, leading the Packers to the playoffs while passing for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
That’s not far off Goff’s 4,575 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Love also carried for 247 yards, 16 first downs, and four touchdowns. In the last eight games, he completed more than 70% of his throws for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns, and one interception.
The Packers appear to have found their quarterback for the foreseeable future.
The Bears and Vikings have both made major investments at the position. Chicago selected consensus No. 1 prospect Caleb Williams at the top of the draft, while the Vikings selected Michigan national champion J.J. McCarthy at No. 10.
We don’t know what Williams or McCarthy will do in the NFL, but they’re both top talents who have the potential to help the Bears and Vikings for years.
If that’s the case, the Lions don’t want to be the only team in the NFC North with questions about their most crucial position.
Future QB contracts.
If you follow NFL contracts, you’ll know that timing is almost as important as productivity.
In a few years, Goff’s contract will most likely be closer to the tenth-highest among NFL quarterbacks; that’s just how things work. The top five annual wages at quarterback are all for players who signed contracts within the last year, and this trend is unlikely to change.
By the end of this contract, Goff will be 33 or 34 years old and likely the eighth to twelfth-highest-paid quarterback in the league. That doesn’t seem so horrible, does it?
Expectations need to alter.
Goff acquired this deal based on his previous performance, but he must earn it again in the future.
And he’ll be graded on a completely different curve.
Over the last two seasons, Goff has been judged with the assumption that he was a throw-in in the Matthew Stafford trade. Anything the Lions got out of him seemed like a bonus.
That is not the case anymore. He’s now one of the league’s highest-paid players, and the Lions expect him to perform accordingly.
Goff’s $170 million guaranteed contract will have a significant impact on how the Lions approach roster construction in the future. Will they be able to keep Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Sam LaPorta, and others after their commitments this offseason?
Goff’s success in Detroit has been widely lauded because most people expected him to be a temporary fill-in until the Lions used one of their first-round picks from the Stafford trade to draft a rookie.
We now know that he truly owns the franchise.
This means that every bad game will spark speculation about his contract. Following each interception, the numbers will be widely distributed on social media. He will constantly be compared to MVP-caliber quarterbacks who are currently earning less money.
Goff has handled a lot of off-field pressure throughout his career. We’ll see what he can do with a $212 million elephant in the room.
Final thoughts.
I have some reservations about this massive commitment, but given the Lions’ options, extending Goff is a no-brainer.
They can’t afford to build a championship-caliber roster and then bet everything on an unproven Hendon Hooker.
Regardless of whether they win the Super Bowl, the Lions will be a solid team. That means they won’t draft high enough to land a top quarterback prospect.
The Lions have previously struggled with quarterbacks, which is a bad situation. I understand why they stepped up and ensured that, while they may not have a significant quarterback advantage moving forward, it will not hold them back.
Holmes had two choices: extend Goff or confront the great unknown. No matter how this turns out, I believe he made the right decision.
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