Three years ago, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was becoming an NFL afterthought.
The Lions acquired Goff in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Rams in March 2021, sending Matthew Stafford to the Rams as part of the deal. Detroit also landed a first-round draft pick from the Rams in the deal in exchange for taking on Goff’s contract.
Now, the Lions just handed him a four-year, $212 million extension.
How’s that for irony?
Former NFL offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Ross Tucker provided his thoughts on the turnaround for Goff, and he couldn’t be happier for the signal-caller.
It really is one heck of a story.
Obviously, the trade did work out for the Rams, as Stafford proceeded to lead Los Angeles to a Super Bowl in his debut campaign with the club.
But it has also been a great trade for the Lions.
Goff just guided Detroit to its best season in three decades. In 2023, the Lions won their first division title in 30 years and also captured their first playoff win since January 1992.
Goff took Detroit all the way to the NFC Championship Game and was this close to punching the Lions’ ticker to the Super Bowl. Remember: Detroit held a 24-7 halftime lead over the San Francisco 49ers before coming apart at the seams over the final two quarters.
On the regular season, Goff threw for 4,575 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 67.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 97.9.
It marks the second straight impressive year for the 29-year-old, as he made the Pro Bowl in 2022 after totaling 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven picks while completing 65.1 percent of his throws and registering a 99.3 passer rating.
All of that came after a rather pedestrian debut campaign in Detroit in 2021.
Now, largely because of the play of Goff, the Lions are considered by many to be the second-best team in the NFC behind the 49ers heading into 2024.
Detroit has been very busy this offseason, extending offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown before giving Goff his big pay day.
It’s the dawn of a new era in the Motor City, and Jared Goff is a huge reason for it.