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The Detroit Lions have stuck behind quarterback Jared Goff this offseason as a franchise, and it seems to be for good reason heading into 2023.
Goff enjoyed a career year with the Lions, making the 2023 Pro Bowl on the back of a 29 touchdown, seven interception season. As a result of this, Goff is unlikely to be supplanted as the team’s starter.
Not only did Goff’s play seem to elevate his status with the team, so too did his leadership. Detroit defensive phenom Aidan Hutchinson saw this quickly as a rookie player entering the mix, and admitted it’s something that impresses him. As a result, he sees Goff as underrated in the league.
Speaking during an appearance on Green Light With Chris Long, Hutchinson was asked what impresses him about Goff. As he admitted, the little things he does in the building help him to be a success.
“He’s got so much attention to detail. I’ve walked into the quarterback room a couple times just to hear them talk because I like to hear how those guys think. The way he breaks stuff down with defenses even, I mean it’s no wonder why he’s picking defenses apart, especially last year. He had a great year and it was fun watching him and I think he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves a lot,” Hutchinson said on the show of Goff.
Often overlooked for his talent, Goff is a player who has flourished since joining the Lions in a 2021 blockbuster trade with Matthew Stafford. Statistically, Goff has posted a total of 7,683 yards, 48 touchdowns and 15 interceptions with the Lions, which are very solid totals.
As always, there’s a player behind the stats, and Hutchinson’s description of Goff’s work behind the scenes shows why he has been impressive in his career thus far and taken command of the Lions.
Aidan Hutchinson Liked David Montgomery Signing
Though he plays on the defensive side of the ball, Hutchinson clearly knows offensive talent. While playing with the Lions, he saw it in a big way on the other side of the ball in 2022 with David Montgomery.
A former Chicago Bears running back, Montgomery managed to impress Hutchinson the first time he saw him during his rookie season. In a pair of games, Montgomery rushed for just 61 yards against the Lions. Still, those yards were memorable to Hutchinson.
“The guy’s just a little bowling ball and I missed a couple tackles that I wasn’t too happy about at the time, but now I am happy that we got him. I think he’s going to be a great player for us and I’m pumped. I’m excited,” he explained to Long.
The addition of a player like Montgomery figures to help Goff in a big way this season. He will add a dynamic to the offense in terms of missed tackles that is significant.
Now that Montgomery has signed with the Lions this offseason on a three-year, $18 million dollar deal, Hutchinson won’t have to worry about having to tackle him outside of practice. That’s something which is likely to make him very happy.
Jared Goff Earned Support From Lions’ Staff
Hutchinson’s comments only serve to prove that Goff has a ton of support in his corner ahead of the 2023 season. The team proved it with their moves, re-signing veteran quarterback Nate Sudfeld to serve as Goff’s backup.
The team’s head coach Dan Campbell is also firmly within Goff’s corner, something he has constantly proven this offseason. Most recently, he did so again when speaking with NFL Network as well as Tom Pelissero on Monday, March 27 at the NFL owners meetings.
As Pelissero tweeted after speaking to Campbell, Goff managed to get yet another important offseason vote of confidence from his leader.
“Love Goff. Goff’s our guy, man. I think he’s proven over the last two years that, man, he’s made for us. … When you’ve got a quarterback, you hold onto those guys, man,” Campbell said as shown in Pelissero’s tweet.
It hasn’t been only Campbell that has praised Goff’s place with the Lions. General manager Brad Holmes has also been an advocate of Goff, and when speaking in January early this offseason, he admitted as written by Nick Shook of NFL.com that while the Lions might consider other young players, Goff has managed to prove himself as the team’s starter.
“I think it’s a lot easier to get worse at quarterback than to get better at quarterback in this league. I think what Jared (Goff) has done this year, he captained the ship of a top-three offense and I want to say he was top-10 statistically in most of the passing categories. And again, you know how we approach the draft, like, we’re never going to turn down a good football player. So, if it’s a football player we really love, I mean, we’re going to make sure every stone is unturned, but I do think that Jared has proven (to) everybody that he is a starting quarterback for us,” Holmes said as shown in the piece.
Not only has Goff impressed the team’s brass across the board, but as Hutchinson showed, he has impressed the locker room as well. It adds up to lots of support ahead of 2023.
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