Jared Goff is one of the more highly debated quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to where he ranks amongst his peers. However, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports might have found the perfect placement for him in his recent quarterback tiers.
Rather than ranking them, DeArdo bucketed them by their potential, and Goff came out into the borderline stars tier.
Goff is the type of quarterback to have stretches of near-elite play. During the right five weeks, he can be considered in an MVP race. However, during another five-week stretch, there are going to be people calling for Goff to get benched. He can be considered below average. That is why this tier is the perfect spot for him.
CBS Sports Finds Perfect Ranking for Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
GettyQuarterback Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions.
There are five quarterbacks in the tier above Goff. Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow are the five quarterbacks that all teams would like to have right now. DeArdo put them in the transcendent star category.
There might be minor quibbles, but overall, the consensus is that these five are above the rest.
Then, there are the borderline stars. What makes this tier so interesting and proper is that there are 12 quarterbacks in it. That is over one-third of the NFL starters.
However, it is fair that a majority of these players belong in this tier. The group consists of Jalen Hurts, Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Drake Maye, Trevor Lawrence, and, of course, Goff.
Most fans of their team and the NFL at large would agree that on the right day, any of these quarterbacks can play like a clear-cut top-ten and borderline top five player. All of them have gotten MVP buzz at the right time.
However, none of them has had enough serious discussions or a long enough track record to justify being a clear-cut top ten player. At times, their play can be a bit below average.
If you look at any ranking, you will probably see the same names ranked from sixth to 18. The only difference will be the order. This is the point of the tier ranking. They can be shuffled by preference, but overall, they are tiny differences for similarly rated players.
Lions See Matthew Stafford in Transcendent Tier
Lions fans have to be happy to see that Goff is considered as high as the sixth-best quarterback in the NFL. However, it also has to sting to see that Matthew Stafford is in a clear tier ahead of him as the MVP.
The Lions ended up with more than just Goff out of the trade, and they are not going to be mad at where they stand right now in the NFL hierarchy. However, Stafford won a Super Bowl and an MVP with the Los Angeles Rams. He is getting the credit many thought he deserved when he was with the Lions.
It is bittersweet for fans to see.
CBS Sports Finally Settles Jared Goff Debate