Getty Jared Goff throws an off-balance pass against the Vikings in 2021.
Once upon a time, Jared Goff was seen as a rising quarterback in the NFL. When the Los Angeles Rams gave up on him and elected to deal him for Matthew Stafford, though, that status took a major hit.
Cast away to the Detroit Lions, Goff has taken up a mantle on plenty of offseason lists as a quarterback that folks would rather not have, and that is regardless of the fact that he could actually be primed for another breakout season in 2022 when the games begin.
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Recently, Pro Football Focus took a look at putting together some quarterback tiers for the 2022 season. Goff was far from near the top of Seth Galina’s list, and the writer had Goff far down the board in an unflattering category, even if it was far from the worst place he could have been listed.
Goff was in the “play action merchants” tier, and proclaimed as a quarterback that has been “propped up by scheme.” He was listed along with the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo. Goff was last on the list, though.
As Galina wrote, “Goff’s WAR per season with McVay was 2.41, but it’s called to 0.21 since he left Los Angeles.” This could show a decline in his play, but to be fair to Goff, he didn’t have much to work with in 2021. That will change a bit this year.
Clearly, Goff has his work cut out for him as it relates to changing the narratives surrounding his game. Working his way back higher on these tier lists will be a goal for him to chase in the near future.
Goff Enjoyed Solid Finish to 2021 Season
Regardless of any narratives about him, Detroit has a quarterback they can seemingly count on for the future in Goff under center. In spite of all the early struggles and injury trouble late in the year, Goff found a way to finish the 2021 season strong on the field. Since Thanksgiving, Goff was on relative fire as statistics go at quarterback. He threw 11 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions while going off for 1,136 passing yards. Goff has also claimed elusive awards for a Lions quarterback such as NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors as well as FedEx Air Player of the Week award.
Perhaps the game that showed Lions fans the most was his impressive 3 touchdown performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15:
All of this cemented Goff’s future with the team. The Lions didn’t draft another quarterback or sign one outside the building, and Goff is still sticking around for the future to help the team continue to build in the best way possible.
Lions Likely to Target 2023 Quarterbacks
What will happen with Goff under center? The quarterback now has his chance to state his case for the future, and with a strong 2022 season, he could remain in the mix to be Detroit’s starter in 2023 and beyond. The Lions, though, could decide to draft a quarterback in what could be a loaded 2023 class. Some names have emerged early in the process that figure to be ones to watch this year in college football in the form of Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young and even Will Levis of Kentucky. All could be first-round talents, and others could join them. Detroit could even elect to upgrade the position if a younger player or disgruntled veteran hits the trade block, but it seems they would be more likely to stick with Goff or draft someone than take that route. Simply, the point is, the Lions will have options.
Goff could dispel a lot of the narratives about him with another elite season on the field. If he gets that done, all bets are off regarding what the Lions will do. At this point, though, it won’t stop the media from providing their often unflattering take about where he stands.