Getty Kyler Murray playing the Lions in 2021.
The Detroit Lions appear to have some stability at quarterback with Jared Goff, and yet, forces from the outside seem keen to remind the team that a quick change could still benefit them in a big way at the position this offseason.
Goff entered the mix as a key portion of last offseason’s big Matthew Stafford trade, and while it was an up and down season for Goff, his late play pointed to him being able to stick around for the near future. Some, however, don’t see that as the best choice for the team and want to see the Lions hit the trade market again.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Bleacher Report and writer Alex Ballentine named the ideal trade for every NFL team to make this offseason, and when it came to the Lions, he had a whopper. Ballentine suggested the team should trade for quarterback Kyler Murray to give their team a big boost.
Ballentine thinks that the Lions don’t have much going on at the position minus keeping Goff around, and that decision could lead them to look at an upgrade. He believes Murray is the upgrade the team should seek thanks to his talent, and writes “the Lions have the asset mobility to put a package together for Murray that would expedite their rebuild process without completely depleting their resources.”
Murray has been in a complicated state of affairs with the Cardinals, having eliminated most mention of the team on his Instagram account. Whether that means things are rocky enough for a trade is open to interpretation. When he is on and playing well, Murray is one of the toughest quarterbacks to play against in the league. At times in 2021, he looked like a legitimate MVP candidate. Last season, the Lions rattled Murray in a big win at Ford Field which hurt their season deeply. Detroit collected 1 interception and 2 sacks on the day last year head-to-head.
Detroit would have to cough up a few draft picks to land Murray, but it could give them a quarterback of the future to build around that has legitimate NFL success to his name. That could help them in 2022 and beyond if the move is made, even as farfetched as it seems.
Goff’s Words, Play Hinted at Future With Lions
It’s obvious listening to Goff’s words that he wants to be a part of the solution for the Lions moving forward himself. While the team could elect to draft a quarterback, it isn’t wise to think that they will pull the plug on Goff completely. General manager Brad Holmes recently opined that Goff knows what he must do to prepare for the 2022 season.
Good play will be one way for the quarterback to remain in the mix, and Goff managed to end the 2021 season strong on the field. Since Thanksgiving, Goff was on relative fire as statistics go. 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 the FedEx Air Player of the Week award.
Perhaps the game that showed Lions fans the most potential of what Goff could do for the future was his impressive 3 touchdown performance against Murray’s own Cardinals in December:
Goff seems to know that the Lions are capable of a turnaround, and could be the guy who can help the team get there himself if only he is given the chance. The Lions are likely to give him that chance, but it hasn’t stopped others from pondering what a few changes could look like for the lineup, especially at quarterback.
Murray’s Stats & Highlights
In spite of all the negativity about his game, Murray is still a great quarterback, which he has proven in the league. After a standout career at Oklahoma in college which culminated in a Heisman Trophy, Murray came to the pros and made an instant impact for the Cardinals. So far in his career, he’s put up 11,480 yards passing with 70 touchdowns. Here’s a look at some of his greatest hits:
Murray and the Lions would be an intriguing match. The quarterback could allow the team a good option for the present and future as well as a guy who represents the new archetype at the position. For that reason, it would be intriguing to see him added to the team.
Don’t expect this to be a move the Lions make, but it’s interesting to ponder it before the offseason begins.
READ NEXT: Lions Defender Projected to ‘Gain Attention’ if Released