Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell can’t hide praise for Jared Goff

It’s offseason positivity time, but Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell is the latest to heap internal praise on Jared Goff.

Jared Goff may have turned a corner late in his first season with the Detroit Lions, with a passer rating a shade north of 107 over his final five starts. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is prioritizing getting that version of the former No. 1 overall pick over the full season in 2022.

Goff has talked about having a better comfort level this offseason, as could be expected simply having everything be more familiar entering a second season in Detroit. Head coach Dan Campbell has noted areas Goff has improved in this spring, as expected all things considered.

Quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell could be easy to overlook as a key component when the Lions have a young quarterback in place. But his work with Goff is obviously important for this year, leaning into his own experience as an NFL starting quarterback.

The Lions started a lighter week of OTAs on Monday, and Brunell talked a lot about Goff.

Mark Brunell heaps plenty of praise on Jared Goff

Here’s some of what Brunell had to say about the Lions’ starting signal caller, via SI.com.

"When I say he’s had an excellent spring, I’m not kidding. He really has done very well with this, with the learning. His work ethic. He comes out here and he works. He puts the time in. It’s very, very important to him, and just his ability to throw the ball. He has an elite arm talent, and it’s been fun to watch. I think he’s in a great place right now, just from last year to this year.I would say, I’d say his confidence is at an all-time high. I really would,” Brunell said. “I mean, he is the leader of this offense, leader of this team. He is in command when he’s out there. He understands what we’re trying to do. He’s done very well. It’s the best best place I’ve ever seen him."

Quite frankly, an NFL quarterback better look pretty good in offseason workouts with no pads. No one would comfortably say Goff has “elite arm talent” like Brunell did, but the sentiment of being in command as a leader could be noted as a great positive–even as something else a quarterback should do.

The proof will be in the pudding for Goff when the games start to matter in September, in a pivotal season for his career. But the offseason foundation is being built now, and the internal reviews continue to be good.