Jared Goff has been written off at multiple times in his NFL career, but he has continually found a way to come back swinging. The Detroit Lions‘ star quarterback might even top his game from last year in addition to blowing up the quarterback salary market.
At least, that is what one league analyst believes.
Writing for NFL.com, analyst Judy Battista slyly dropped a bombshell prediction in a recent piece.
Here’s how she put it, offering one big explanation to boot:
“What gives Goff, who just signed a four-year, $212 million extension, a real chance to sneak into the MVP race, though, is what didn’t happen this offseason: His offensive coordinator did not leave. Ben Johnson was the hottest of hot head-coaching candidates, but he decided to stick around for another year, giving the Lions and Goff rare continuity for a top-five offense — teams in that stratosphere usually watch play-callers go through the revolving door on their way to the top job.”
Goff has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in his career multiple times. His career started on a low when he went 0-7 in his rookie season with the then-St. Louis Rams under head coach Jeff Fisher.
Instead of giving up on the quarterback, however, the Rams brought in a new coach in the form of Sean McVay.
McVay and Goff turned into a monumental duo overnight, lighting up the NFC. However, after failing to bring the team a Super Bowl win, Goff was pushed out. He was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.
Jared Goff offering rare peak with second NFL franchise
Once the trade happened, it seemed that the quarterback was doomed to fail in a situation not even Stafford could save. However, after a rough first season, Goff delivered.
First, his victories came in getting the Lions their first winning season since 2017, according to Pro Football Reference. The Lions had been a fringe .500 team before with Stafford.
Then, Detroit reached a height previously unseen since long before Stafford. Goff delivered the Lions their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991. As a result, the Lions handed Goff his aforementioned blockbuster deal. This pushed him to the top of the salary leaderboard in the NFL.
Will the Lions quarterback find a way to build on the bar he has already set?
At this point, an MVP or a Super Bowl appearance are seemingly the only better paths the Lions can take. Will Jared Goff continue to play with fire or, having proven doubters wrong, relax just a touch in 2024?