Could Jared Goff earn a contract extension from the Lions?

Jared Goff has been set up to succeed in 2022, but could he possibly do enough to get a contract extension from the Lions?

During the first half-plus of the 2021 season, Jared Goff was in the conversation as the worst quarterback in the NFL. Over the final several weeks of the season (his last five starts), his 107.1 passer rating was in the top tier of the league.

The Lions will start with hopefully having one of the league’s best offensive lines together all season in 2022. They added a couple legit downfield threats at wide receiver in DJ Chark and Jameson Williams. The elevation of Ben Johnson to offensive coordinator, after he played a key role in Detroit’s late-season offensive surge last year, can only help. There were plenty of indications Goff and former offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn did not connect.

After not drafting a quarterback, the Lions are officially committed to Goff for the 2022 season. After that, with a far easier path out of his contract next offseason, his future with the Lions is up in the air.

Could Jared Goff earn a contract extension from the Lions?

Appearing on 97.1 The Ticket earlier this week, Lions general manager Brad Holmes talked about Goff and landed on a bottom line.

“We wanted to give Jared the best chance to succeed” and “We know we can with him,”

From the moment he was acquired in the Matthew Stafford trade last offseason, Holmes has resisted the idea that Goff is simply a bridge quarterback for the Lions. It’s amazing to realize, but the former No. 1 overall pick will only turn 28 in October. So in theory, he has plenty of peak years left. The question is where that peak is.

Goff is not as bad a quarterback as he showed for much of the early portion of last season. It’s also safe to say he’s not as good as the 107 passer rating he posted down the stretch last year. The moves that have been made this offseason are with helping him be close to that ceiling in mind, setting Goff up for a make-or-break season however it might be looked at in the small or big picture.

What would an extension for Goff look like? As is he’s under contract through 2024, his age-30 season, with cap hits north of $30 millon each year.

Do the Lions want to commit to Goff into his 30s? Will what he what he would want/the market would bear line up with what the Lions should or would do? Even at his absolute best, his ceiling is limited and thus the ceiling for the team is limited.

A long-term commitment to Goff is a commitment to being just “good enough”, on the best day, at the most important position on the field. The Lions don’t seem to have a real decision to make with him, as moving on feels inevitable next offseason if at all plausible. But they are giving Goff a chance to put a tough decision on their plate if he plays well in 2022.