The quarterback market is rising and will continue to rise, and Jared Goff said there have been no contract extension talks with the Detroit Lions.
With each passing quarterback contract, the price of poker for other teams to keep their current guy goes up. The Detroit Lions are there with Jared Goff, who’s once bloated-looking contract now looks like a bargain in the eyes of some. The huge deal Jalen Hurts agreed to with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday is in the equation now too.
Goff has two years left on his contract. While Lions head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes like him, the time when he won’t be the starter anymore is on the radar somewhere.
Goff was among the players who spoke to the media on Tuesday, Day 2 of Lions’ voluntary offseason workouts.
The prospect of a contract extension with the Lions was a natural topic, in the context of his being asked about Hurts’ deal.
Jared Goff is of course ‘open’ to contract talks with the Lions
Via Kyle Meinke of MLive:
"Of course you’d be open (to an extension),” Goff said on Tuesday during a break in the first round of OTAs in Allen Park. “It hasn’t been brought to my attention, but yeah, of course open to anything. Not up to me. I’m a player"
Goff is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, as he was top-10 in many notable categories. He’ll also carry a streak of 324 pass attempts without an interception into next season, which is a top-five streak in league history.
From the Lions’ end, there’s no urgency to extend Goff beyond 2024 right now. Goff and/or his agent might disagree on the urgency aspect, even if Goff will say what he’d be expected to about it publicly.
Holmes said Goff has been kept in the loop about the possibility the Lions draft a quarterback. Goff confirmed that, and said what you’d expect about that possibility.
"Everything has been clear and open. I’ve got all the trust in the world in Brad and Dan and everything they do, and really excited to see what we do and where we go.”It’s not my job to decide what we need on the roster. But if they need to bring somebody in to be there in case something happens to me, of course, that’s their decision."
A new deal for Goff would surely land at over $40 million per year. Even in a rising market with a rising salary cap, that’s a lot to pay a quarterback who lacks great upside like Goff does. Some Lions fans don’t want to hear how Goff has a low ceiling, lest they accuse someone of being a “Goff hater.”
But Goff realists know he probably has one or two years left as the Lions’ starting quarterback. Then he’ll be gone, and they’ll move on to a younger quarterback who makes less and is more latently talented.