Getty Jared Goff walks off the field after a 2023 win against the Packers.
The Detroit Lions have plenty of roster holes to consider and opportunities to fix them coming down the pipe, but one spot that they may not have to worry about is quarterback.
Jared Goff stepped up in a big way during the 2022 season on the field posting some impressive numbers, and as a result, the Lions no longer have to scramble to make a move with Goff.
The team can continue on with him at quarterback and move those discussions to another day, which is an advantage for roster building.
While many pundits have been adamant about Goff being under pressure from the start, that narrative is certainly beginning to shift a bit within the league. Pro Football Focus proved that once again.
Breaking down the need at quarterback for all teams in the league, writer Trevor Sikkema shed some light on the need of every team and what they could decide to do.
Sikkema ranked Detroit’s quarterback need 18th in the league. That’s just over the middle of the pack, which along with Goff’s improved play might prove that the team might not need to make a dramatic move at the position this offseason.
“Jared Goff had the Lions’ offense roaring (get it?) this season as one of the highest-scoring units in the league. Of course, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had a lot to do with that, as was evident by Goff still making more turnover-worthy plays (22) than big-time throws (16). Still, it was a much better season from Goff overall, which means the Lions probably won’t force a quarterback upgrade. But with the No. 6 and No. 18 overall picks in the upcoming draft, they could take a chance on one,” Sikkema wrote in the piece.
The Lions could look to add young competition behind Goff and press backup Nate Sudfeld this offseason, but it seems fair to say that the team seems unlikely to take a huge swing at the position given the other needs across the roster.
Detroit’s 32nd ranked defense needs depth across the board, and surrounding Goff with weapons could also be an important strategy toward building a complete team. Selecting a quarterback without a dire need to might hurt that goal overall.
Insider: Goff Should Stick With Lions
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell might have thought the Lions would be eying a major change at quarterback 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.
That stunning turn did not come for the Lions on the field, as the team finished 8-2 and had a clutch 20-16 win at Lambeau Field to eliminate Green Bay. All of that only combines to put Goff in a better place for the offseason and the future.
Looking at Goff’s numbers and highlights, it’s even easier to see why this is the case.
Goff Enjoyed Solid 2022 Season
In terms of what Goff has done this season on the field, the Lions have no reason to be all that disappointed with their quarterback statistically and otherwise, which is why they are unlikely to make a big move at the position.
This year, Goff has put up a very solid 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown for a quality 4,438 yards with a decent 99.3 QBR. Goff was a quality game manager for the Lions. He 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, and it sounds as if that is just what the front office wants to do. Brad Holmes spoke a few weeks ago, and admitted Goff has proven himself as the team’s quarterback.
Nothing Goff did in 2022 helped to make it obvious that he should lose the job in the future. For that reason, the Lions are not high on the list of teams that need a quarterback shakeup in the offseason.