Jared Goff, the Detroit Lions quarterback, had a terrific 2023 season, but that didn’t stop the offseason cynicism. Goff threw for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, and he led the Lions to two postseason victories. By any measure of the imagination, it was a memorable year for any signal caller, let alone one working in Detroit.
Nonetheless, Goff continues to be overlooked in numerous offseason rankings. Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema graded Goff as the 16th-best quarterback in the league–in a Tier 4 group termed “the melting pot of starters:” “Goff was already an efficient, in-structure quarterback, but he elevated his game last season. His 85.2 passing grade in 2023 was the greatest of his career, his 3.4% big-time throw percentage was the highest single-season figure since his Rams days, and his 2.4% turnover-worthy play percentage was a career low.”
What is the primary variable working against this assessment? Goff continues to benefit from one of the NFL’s greatest offensive lines. He rarely lacks structure. He has generally thrived, which led to him getting a large contract extension. It’s strange that Goff did not make the third rung of Sikkema’s list (“Postseason-caliber quarterbacks”). After all, that’s exactly who Goff is/was. Two players in that group, Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers, did not lead their teams to the playoffs last season. Regardless, Goff is doing what he can to ignore the outside talk about him.
