Extending a player in the NFL or any professional sports league is one of the harder, more refined skills a general manager can possess.
Brad Holmes ever since he took over as general manager of the Lions has shown to be among the top tier of decision-makers in the NFL. What he hasn’t had to do yet is the hardest thing for a general manager, negotiating a quarterback contract extension.
Jared Goff had some growing pains during his first year in Detroit. Since then he has seen decent improvement thanks to the help of play caller Ben Johnson.
Holmes has built the offense around Goff by signing David Montgomery and drafting the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs.
That last part however may be why this gets extra tricky. Let’s break this deal down by each unique problem it presents as well as the benefits.
Pro: the most important position
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Having a proven leader and gamer at the quarterback position is the problem half the league can’t solve. Look no further than the top of the draft this year, there are seven teams who need a face at the position, and Detroit has one. That simple fact cannot be overstated or looked at in this big picture.
Con: less money for other positions
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We mentioned above all the players that Holmes has drafted to build around Goff, they are going to be paid too. There cannot be too much money tied up at quarterback otherwise his support system will be forced to leave around him. Acing the money in an extension will be difficult but it could be done by the general manager.
Pro: offense remains consistent
Ben Johnson has shown this offense can work with Jared Goff leading it. They can win games, make plays, and spread the ball around to their playmakers. Goff has shown he needs a strong play caller so perhaps this pro is tied to Johnson but for now, it stays a s positive within this situation.
Con: offense lacks a “playmaker” at quarterback
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We saw it with Brock Purdy in the Super Bowl this year and with others throughout the last year. Quarterbacks who can win a lot of regular season games are fine, but the playmakers are what drives a team to a Super Bowl. Getting a Patrick Mahomes isn’t easy, but getting a playmaker can be obtained, but it requires either a star-free agent or a high draft pick.
Pro: Jared Goff is just 29 years old
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Giving Goff an extension of either three or five years still has him being under 35 by the time his next deal comes. He has shown he has far from plateaued but rather been on a steady climb upwards with his development. If Brad Holmes continues to build around him, then this makes sense for the direction to take.
Con: the contract language may not be beneficial
Whether this deal is good or not for the Lions depends on the language. If they can get a deal similar to what Seattle secured with Geno Smith, perfect. The deal with the Seahawks has team-friendly language after the second year if the parties wanted to separate.
On the flip side, the deal New Orleans and Denver extended Derek Carr and Russell Wilson with have those teams in salary cap hell. If the money is pushed deeper into the contract, the worse it is.