by Mike Stiefelhagen
Jared Goff has the stamp of many fans as the child prodigy who was drafted first by the Los Angeles Rams in 2016 but will never make the big leap.
In the 2018 NFL season, the Rams faced the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl with quarterback Goff, whom they lost 3-13. Without a touchdown scored under Goff.
Jared Goff: From child prodigy to top player?
For the 2021 season, the Rams traded (among other things) Goff for Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. With Stafford, the triumph in the Super Bowl was achieved right away. Goff ended the season with the Lions under then-new coach Dan Campbell with just three wins. It was the worst team in the NFL.
For many, it was only a matter of time before the Lions brought in a new QB who is more than mediocre. But under Campbell, Goff was able to tap into his potential more and more and is among the top five quarterbacks of the past NFL season in many statistics (4,438 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions).
Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell believes in Jared Goff
Before the coming season, Lions coach Campbell is still confident and also sees Goff as the reason for the positive trend in Detroit: “I feel really good with him as a quarterback. I love Goff. He’s our man. He’s played in the past Two years ago he proved he was made for us. He’s endured a lot like a lot of us. But for me he played his best football last season and I think he’ll play at that level again next season . I’m comfortable with him. I love our quarterback situation,” he told NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
The Lions have won eight of the past ten NFL games. In the upcoming NFL Draft, the Lions have two first-round picks, even four picks from the top 55 picks. Despite the praise, Goff is entering his final year of contract and is currently 29 years old. If Campbell is serious about the words and continues to rely on him, contract negotiations should soon be pending.
Should the Detroit Lions go after Lamar Jackson?
Some pundits have suggested trying for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson since the Lions could afford it with their picks.
But Campbell doesn’t seem to want to know anything about it at first: “If you feel like you’ve found your quarterback, then you stick with that feeling. I’m not talking about money or contracts, I just want to make the guy feel good about which one also gives me a good feeling. We’re a better team this year, the expectations are rightly rising. We have to live up to that now.”