Is Jared Goff really the Detroit Lions’ QB1 of the present, and the future, or simply a stop-gap until the team is able to acquire an even better talent as their man signal caller?
That remains to be fully seen as we head into the former Super Bowl runner-up’s first season with the Lions, but one thing’s for sure: Lions GM Brad Holmes has been pondering it deeply as the team’s offseason schedule has progressed through offseason workouts and minicamp earlier this month.
Holmes, who served as director of college scouting Goff’s former team, the Los Angeles Rams, when they took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, is quite familiar with the former California Golden Bear’s strengths and weaknesses at the position.
Recently, Holmes made a statement on Goff’s future, and the Lions’ future plans for him, that have caught the eyebrows of journalists and analysts across the league, and it says a lot about the faith Holmes has in Detroit’s newest signal caller.
Lions GM Hints at Team’s Future Plans for Goff
While many view Goff with skepticism, Holmes seems all-in on the team’s latest major offensive acquisition.
“He’s been successful. He has a lot of wins. He’s been to the playoffs,” Holmes said to DetroitLions.com according to Tim Twentyman.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t have a chance to be successful. There’s nothing wrong with winning.”
Over the course of his career, Goff has gone from being labeled as a bust, to back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2017 and 2018 before taking the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018.
Last season, Goff completed 21-for-27 passes (77.7 percent) along with a touchdown pass against the Green Bay Packers in a losing effort.
His stats added up to a 105.9 rating despite playing through injury, Twentyman noted.
Holmes added that he does not view Goff as a stopgap option. He’s the man if the Lions are going to make a playoff run anytime in the next few years, barring injury or other unforeseen circumstances.
“The outside narrative has been like, ‘Oh, you got the guy for two years to bridge and then that’s it.’ Ok, I can name you some stop-gaps. I wouldn’t say (Goff is one),” Holmes said.
Holmes added that Goff was obtained from Los Angeles after Rams GM Les Snead called and asked if he wanted him in a trade. Snead reached out to Holmes and helped pave the way for the deal, noting that he had been fielding a lot of calls from other teams.
Despite the Lions having to part with franchise legend Matthew Stafford, it was a slam dunk deal for Holmes.
“I never viewed (Goff) as a bridge option. He’s been a winning quarterback. His resume speaks for itself.
“Since he’s been a full-time starter he’s not been to the playoffs one time (2019).”
Holmes said he’s noticed a change in Goff since he’s gotten to Allen Park.
“Talking with him now you can kind of feel like the breath of fresh air,” Holmes said. “You always say it like, ‘Aw, he just needs a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air.’ It’s easy to write that down or say it, but you can actually feel it as you’re talking with him.”
Goff is still just 26 years old and has a career passer rating of 91.5. He’s thrown for over 4,600 yards the previous two seasons with completion percentages of 62.9 and 67%, respectively, although his touchdown-to-interception ratio is a cause for concern.
Still, Holmes likes what he sees.
“He got a bad rap (in LA). He did,” Holmes said of Goff. “I didn’t think it was always fair, but everyone has their own opinion about that.
