Peter King thinks Jared Goff is very important to the Detroit Lions future

The venerable Peter King thinks Jared Goff is a big factor in the long term future of the Detroit Lions.

As the Detroit Lions ripped off eight wins in their last 10 games last season, Jared Goff played very well. He’ll enter the 2023 season with some chance to set the NFL record for pass attempts without an interception (324 and counting right now).

Still, there are viable questions about the Lions’ upside with Goff as the quarterback. Last year was one of the best of his career, and some natural regression next season would be expected. Not that the Lions can’t meet the high expectations attached to them–winning the NFC North, or more–but even head coach Dan Campbell has acknowledged thinking about who may succeed Goff.

In a vacuum, Goff is young enough (28, 29 in October) to be the Lions quarterback for several more years. But that automatically caps your ceiling, most likely shy of going to or winning a Super Bowl.

Peter King thinks Jared Goff is driving force for Detroit Lions future outlook

In his fresh “Football Morning In America” column for the new week, NBC Sports’ Peter King had a blurb about the Lions in the “10 Things I Think I Think” section.

"I think, quietly, the Lions have gotten competitive while building intelligently for the future. Three NFL teams have 12 picks, combined, in the first three rounds of the next three drafts: Houston, Chicago and Detroit. Houston and Chicago have miles to go before they sleep. Detroit, on the verge of serious contention, picks sixth, 18th, 48th, 55th and 81st this year—a league-high five picks in the first 2.5 rounds. GM Brad Holmes has done an excellent job looking to the future while stocking his team for today. If Jared Goff is the answer at quarterback, the Lions will be consistently dangerous for the first time in some time."

King mostly only reminds everyone of the good position the Lions are in here. Then he goes a little further to say if Goff is the answer at quarterback, the Lions will be “consistently dangerous for the first time in some time.”

That insinuates Goff staying in place beyond his current contract, which has two years left. The quarterback market says the Lions will be paying for that privilege if so, and paying someone who’s a top half (maybe top-12) of the league quarterback on his best days big money.

The Lions continue to back Goff as a perfect fit for them. But the idea of getting younger, cheaper and more talented at the most important position on the field should never be out of the question when you don’t have an elite quarterback.

While Goff is a lot of good things, elite he is not.

They have to get it right, but the Lions are basically in line to be “consistently dangerous” no matter who their starting quarterback is moving forward. Goff is not the tipping point or determining factor there, and any idea he is that important to the team’s future outlook is a reach.