Detroit Lions have opened contract extension talks with Jared Goff

There’s not a broad great sense of urgency, but Lions general manager Brad Holmes has acknowledged talks of a contract extension for Jared Goff have started.

As the top of the quarterback market keeps rising, now north of $50 million per year in raw of the top value, everyone else who’s coming up for a contract soon will benefit. Lions quarterback Jared Goff, with two years left on his current contract, straddles the line of having serious contract extension talks and it being too soon.

What there is no doubt about is the cost of a contract extension for Goff–likely pushing toward $40 million per year. Coming off one of the best seasons of his career it could be argued he’s now underpaid on his current deal, with cap hits of $30.98 and $31.65 million, though that’s a bit of a stretch.

The Lions can see what he does this season, then re-evaluate where they are in terms of extending Goff.

Last month, as voluntary offseason started, Goff said there hadn’t been any talks about a contract extension that he knew of.

"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"

Lions GM Brad Holmes says there has been discussion about an extension for Jared Goff

Lions general manager Brad Holmes was on 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday morning. He spoke about contract talks regarding Goff.

"We’ve had (internal) dialogue there,” GM Brad Holmes said Tuesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show. “We’ve had dialogue with his agent and we’re in a good place right now.”"

Due to a phone issue, it has to be reinforced that Holmes first said the Lions have had “internal” dialogue about a contract extension for Goff.

Then Holmes added there has been dialogue with Goff’s agent. So ultimately no one should have been truly misled.

The drafting of Hendon Hooker in the third round of the draft changes nothing for Goff this year. The conversation might different a year from now, with Goff’s 2023 season and Hooker’s progress behind the scenes over the course of his rookie season as the tentpoles.

Opening up contract extension dialogue with Goff now is fine. But it’s not all that meaningful unless a deal gets done soon. And the Lions should feel absolutely no pressure to do that.