The Detroit Lions have seen resurgent play down the stretch from lots of players, and perhaps the most impressive has been quarterback Jared Goff.
Goff has led an impressive stretch of winning for the Lions, and as a result, the narrative has changed about what he will be doing for the team in the future. Most saw Goff as a player who could be moved on from easily, but now, that is not so much the case.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell could probably be counted as someone who would have thought that in the past, but right now, Barnwell thinks the team should stick with the quarterback who has been very solid this year.
In a piece looking at projecting some of the changes that could be made at quarterback this offseason, Barnwell took a comprehensive look at Detroit. While the Lions could save some money by moving on from Goff, Barnwell isn’t sure that is the best course of action.
As he wrote in projecting things for the Lions and the “most likely quarterback to pursue,” Goff is the most likely option to be the player occupying the position in 2023.
“Goff has been too good to justify any sort of immediate shift because of talent, but if the Lions want to capitalize on landing a top-five pick from the Rams in the Matthew Stafford deal, they could use that selection to take a quarterback of the future to play behind Goff. It would take a stunning turn of events in December and January for the Lions to dump him,” Barnwell wrote.
At this point, it seems the Lions are very happy with Goff and what he is providing. Barnwell’s words only serve to prove that in terms of his projection for what will happen.
Fans have been very happy about Goff’s play as well, and things are shaping up to be good for the future of the position for the team.
Insider Also Predicts Lions Keeping Goff
That line of thinking might mesh with what is actually going to happen. According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport quoting sources familiar with Detroit’s thinking, the Lions aren’t poised to move on from Goff, but rather stick with him.
“As sources have explained, Goff is believed to be their starting QB. Period. Not just until someone else comes along. With all due respect to the unknown — weird things happen in the NFL — the plan is for Goff to be in Detroit for the future,” Rapoport wrote in the piece a few weeks back.
A big reason this is the case? Goff has settled down within the teams offense and is also enjoying a solid season. He’s leading the team on the field and off, and has been the total package for the Lions.
As Rapoport would go on to say, the team now has draft options with Goff playing much better.
“If Goff continues to impress and Detroit doesn’t need to select a QB in this draft, that pick could end up being used on a top position player or a perfect pick to trade. There’s plenty of time left until then, but where it stands right now is a huge positive for Detroit,” he wrote.
The Lions have benefitted from a surge in play from Goff, and now, they could benefit in terms of a draft pick to help another major need on the team.
Goff’s Resurgent 2022 Impressive
In terms of what Goff has done this season on the field, the Lions have not had reason to be all that disappointed with their quarterback statistically and otherwise, which is a big reason they might not want to move on.
Through Week 15, Goff has put up a very solid 23 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown for a solid 3,604 yards and has been a quality game manager for the Lions. He’s avoided the big mistakes for the most part, and been a player who has looked very comfortable within the team’s offense.
Detroit could keep Goff given what he has been able to do in leading a resurgent Lions offense most of the year. He’s had some inconsistent games, but that applies to nearly any quarterback in the game.
Nothing Goff is doing in 2022 is helping to make it obvious that he should lose the job in the future, and many are awake to that reality as the season pushes on.
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Insider Makes Major Projection for Lions’ Quarterback Situation in 2023