Getty Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff clapped back at Amazon Prime analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick after his pregame comments.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff wants his critics to know something — he’s not listening to you.
The Lions quarterback spoke to reporters after the team’s October 3 practice, saying he tries not to concern himself with what the “haters” think of his game. Goff faced some recent scrutiny, with former NFL quarterback turned analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick calling him a “poor man’s Matt Ryan.”
During the pre-game show, Ryan Fitzpatrick called Jared Goff a “poor man’s Matt Ryan”.
Goff made sure to call him out for it afterwards. 😂
Goff has helped push the Lions out to a 3-1 start, putting them alone atop the NFC North and so far living up to the expectations of a team set to break a three-decade drought to bring home a division championship.
Jared Goff: ‘Don’t Care’ About Critics
The Lions quarterback was asked about what he thinks of those who criticize his game or career, and the former No. 1 overall pick said he doesn’t listen to any of it.
“Don’t care. Don’t care,” Goff said, via USA Today’s Lions Wire. “There’s still going to be some and there will always be even if I’m playing great, if I’m playing poorly, there’ll always be haters and lovers and ignore them all and keep trying to get better.”
Jared Goff gave the perfect response when asked about Fitzpatrick’s comments and silencing his haters.
He truly exemplifies the grit culture in Detroit! #OnePride
Though he had mixed success with the Los Angeles Rams, Goff had one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, completing 65.1% of his passes for 4,438 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is also off to a strong start in 2023, completing a career-best 69.5% of his passes for 1,029 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
While he may not be too concerned with his critics, Goff did have some self-criticism. The Lions quarterback said he regrets some of his turnovers so far this season.
“You’ve got to be smart with it,” Goff said. “I’ve had three; two of them were bad throws, one was a bad decision. Try to limit the decision ones. Those are the ones that really sting, but yeah, just got to take care of the ball better and really limit that is something I’m focused on.”
Jared Goff, Lions Facing Important Season
This will be an important season for the Lions, who were picked as favorites to win the division for the first time since 1993. After a slow start to the 2022 season doomed the Lions to miss the playoffs, they have gotten off to a hot start this year with a big win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 that put them on top in the division.
Goff could also be facing an important season for his own career. SI.com’s Christian Booher noted that the Lions will have a decision coming on Goff’s extension, and have a rookie quarterback potentially ready to take over in Hendon Hooker.
“The veteran will be under pressure to lead the Lions to fulfill their high expectations,” Booher wrote. “If he can lead the team to the playoffs and perhaps a postseason win, he should land an extension. However, struggles could force Detroit to look elsewhere.”
There has already been some early movement toward a new contract, with Lions general manager Brad Holmes saying back in September that the two sides had good discussions toward a potential deal.
“We’ve kept open dialogue with their agents in camp and I think the transparency has been good, so we’ll see how it goes,” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press.