Former Quarterback Explains Why Lions Fit Jared Goff Perfectly

Jared Goff

Getty Jared Goff goes off the field after a win in 2019.

The Detroit Lions will have a new quarterback coming into the fold in Jared Goff next season, and in the minds of many, the team is getting damaged goods.

Goff has taken tons of heat and has the reputation of a cast-off in this trade thanks to how things went down with Sean McVay in Los Angeles over the last year. In spite of this, however, the quarterback remains an under-the-radar player and someone that should be taken seriously in his next stop.

With Goff taking over the Lions, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky thinks that the best could be yet to come for Goff, because he is getting out on his own and has a chance to show his talent within a brand new offense as well as coaching staff instead of playing in an environment that may have become stale. As he also said, it’s a good fit because of the support system that Goff will have at his disposal with Brad Holmes.

Orlovsky said:

“First of all, it’s a great opportunity for him to create his own identity. Everybody that pays attention to the NFL, they equate Sean McVay and Jared Goff, or Jared Goff with Sean McVay. Now he’s going to be away from Sean. Now it’s going to be an opportunity to prove he can create his own identity away from Sean. The second thing is this. The new general manager for the Lions is from the Rams. So for everyone that is sitting there telling me how much Jared Goff stinks and how much he got overpaid. The guy, his first move at his new organization is to go acquire the player that he knows just as well as anybody, or better than anybody and his “overpaid” contract. Jared Goff is a good player. What’s the number one trait for a quarterback physically? Can you put the ball where you want to put it. He’s got that. Jared Goff is a good player. It’s an opportunity for him to create his own identity, and the guy who traded for him knows him as good as anybody in the NFL.”

Goff has a good opportunity in front of him to help make a career change for the better, and as he’s already said, he’s happy to be in a spot that wants him and can make the best use of him moving forward. With Detroit’s run-heavy offense under Anthony Lynn, the potential exists for Goff to have a career renaissance. It’s obvious he can still throw the football well, and if he goes to an organization where he’s got support, things could come together in a new way.

Obviously, the chance is there for Goff as Orlovsky says. Now, all he has to do is go out and seize the opportunity in front of him on the field.


Jared Goff’s Split With Rams Not All His Fault

The Rams have had plenty of playoff success in the last few seasons, and Goff has been a big part of that success, even as he has not received tons of credit for what he’s done. As Ryan Clark points out in the same clip, every time Goff did something in the league, others received credit, whether it was Sean McVay, the Rams defense or other weapons on the offense. Other things went wrong for the Rams other than just Goff, so he gets a chance at a clean slate and a brand new start which could help bolster his career.

Goff might look like the scapegoat for Los Angeles, but it’s true that the team had other problems which helped in their struggle the last few seasons. With a good start in Detroit, Goff can make others begin to realize that fact if he’s able to play well in his new surroundings.


Analyst Predicts Jared Goff Will Return to Playoffs

Goff enters the Lions with a bruised ego considering how things ended in Los Angeles. The Rams were open about their hopes of dumping the quarterback, and once they zeroed in on Stafford, they found a willing trade partner with the Lions. Now, Goff is on the move. While many consider him a mere throw-in or a guy who’s contract is an albatross, it’s clear Goff has received some love for what he could still do in the league.

ESPN’s Jeff Darlington tweeted after the trade that he isn’t giving up on Goff doing big things and being in the playoffs very soon. The reason? His overreaching talent.

The upside in this move for Goff is the fact he will land in Detroit with Brad Holmes, Aubrey Pleasant and Ray Agnew. There’s been tons of turnover and Rams folks coming to the Lions in recent weeks, and Goff will get to start fresh with folks who know his talent in a great spot for him.

To be clear, Darlington doesn’t say where Goff could be in the playoffs within the next two seasons, but it’s hard to imagine Brad Holmes giving up on him that quickly, so the implication could be that the Lions might be better than some are giving them credit for in the end after this deal.

Goff will have his chance to prove the haters wrong and stick it to the Rams in the future, and it’s clear he could be motivated to do so.

It’s clear Goff has talent, so it will be interesting to see if he can live up to this prediction. If he’s able to do what Orlovsky says and make a new start, that could be the case.

READ NEXT: Jared Goff Shares His Excitement to Join Lions