In 2021, the Lions and Rams made a surprising trade, sending Jared Goff to Detroit and Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles. Despite low expectations, Goff now considers the trade to be the best thing that ever happened to his career and personal development.
After a rocky first season with the Lions, winning just three games, the team developed quickly, and the next two seasons showed true promise for a bright future. The Lions had a winning season of 9-8 in 2022 and finished second in the NFC North — the same year Goff got his third Pro Bowl selection. Then, in 2023, the Lions bounced back even better.
Despite what some may have expected of Goff when he first arrived in Detroit, he was ready to take on the challenge waiting for him.
Being shipped off and being sent to a place to die, essentially, is what a lot of people think it was and I was never going to allow that to happen,” Goff said. “I’m fortunate enough to be around a lot of good coaches and players in Detroit that support me and help me reach my potential.”
Detroit finished the 2023 season with a 12-5 record, leading their division and earning the third spot in the playoffs. During Wild Card Weekend, Goff and the rest of the squad had the chance to win the franchise’s first playoff game in 32 years, which they did. Goff defeated his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, but he did not stop there. After that, Detroit defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round before falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. During that season, Goff threw for 4,575 yards, scored 30 touchdowns and had a 67.3 completion percentage.
Goff quickly became a leader on this Lions offense and in the city of Detroit. The 29-year-old understands that and talked about how being in this environment has helped him. “I’ve just gotten older and you get more comfortable in your voice,” Goff said. “And I think there was an element to being empowered that happened in Detroit with Dan and a lot of the coaches and people there that were like ‘Dude no. You go. This is your thing, you go figure it out,’ whereas as a young player, that wasn’t always the case.” Now, as Goff continues to develop in this system and the Lions gear up for another season, time will tell if this is the year they make it all the way.
