5 potential destinations for Lions quarterback Jared Goff in 2023

2. Washington Commanders

Washington apparently left no stone unturned in their search for a quarterback last offseason, so it seems possible they called the Lions about trading for Goff. They of course landed on Carson Wentz, as the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t wait to get rid of him.

Wentz is currently on IR with a finger injury, and there’s no guarantee he gets his starting job back from Taylor Heinicke when he is ready to play. That says it all, and it casts realistic doubt on his future with the Commanders.

Via Over The Cap, the Commanders can cut Wentz in 2023, leave behind no dead money and clear almost $26.2 million in cap space. He is due a $6.176 million roster bonus on Mar. 19, and they’d probably like to avoid paying that if they’re going to move on. According to Spotrac, $4 million of Wentz’s $20 million base salary for 2023 becomes guaranteed on Mar. 17. So there’s that too.

Much like the Lions with Goff, the Commanders would have to have some idea of a plan to replace Wentz before they cut bait. Maybe it’s Heinicke, current rookie Sam Howell or someone else as an outright Wentz replacement. Maybe it means bringing in someone to compete with Heinicke, Howell, etc. for the starting job.

Going from Wentz to Goff is at best a lateral move, if not a downgrade based on raw skills. But we are talking the Commanders here, and an inevitable new owner can only fix so much by next March.