It has already been a few years since Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes promised "emphasis" on the No. 2 quarterback spot heading into an offseason. What we've seen since regarding procuring a sufficient backup to Jared Goff doesn't qualify as real emphasis by anyone's book.
To be fair, Goff has not missed a start since the 2021 season. Outside of the playoff loss to the Washington Commanders a couple years ago, it's hard to remember another time he even briefly left a game due to injury.
But all it takes is one awkward or rough hit, a bad landing, or a false step, to change everything. If Goff goes down with a major injury, the Lions' season would effectively be over. Every team has a drop-off from its starter to its backup, but Lions have as steep a drop-off as any team in the league right now.
As starting quarterbacks have fallen to injury around the league over the first three weeks of the season, the Lions don't have to look far for a fresh lesson about having a capable backup signal caller.
Lions only have to look at a division rival for a stern QB2 lesson
Over the span of roughly 48 hours last week, the Chicago Bears went from comfortably having a healthy starting quarterback to possibly having to start their No. 3 quarterback in their next game.
Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury late in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. Two days later, news came that No. 2 quarterback Tyson Bagent was in concussion protocol after finishing that game. Suddenly, Case Keenum was in line to make his first start since the 2023 season.
Bagent cleared concussion protocol and was available for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. But Keenum worked as the starter during the practice week, so he got the nod.
Against expectation, the Bears came out throwing early against a Philadelphia Eagles' defense they dominated on the ground last season. Keenum was calm, efficient and at times terrific over the course of the game, on his way to going 24-for-34 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also called his own number for 1-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put a cap a 27-7 Bears' victory.
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Let's just say it's hard to imagine a Lions' backup quarterback doing anything close to what Keenum did if they were called upon. Goff is unlikely to suffer to the kind of injury Williams did because he's not a runner, but, again, all it takes is one bad play to change the situation completely.
The Bears were down their top two quarterbacks Monday night, yet they still had someone who could capably run a version of their offense. Parts of the playbook only Williams can touch weren't part of the plan for Keenum, but his collaboration with Ben Johnson worked perfectly. Keenum has also been "in the room" since Johnson became the Bears' head coach last season.
Lions' offensive coordinator Drew Petzing put together a capable offense around backup Jacoby Brissett with the Arizona Cardinals last season. If Goff went down, maybe Petzing could do it again.
It's also fair to say the Lions' current backups aren't in Brissett's class ability-wise, which is more a knock on those guys than it is praise of him.
Maybe not having a comfortable plan behind Goff continues to not be a problem for the Lions. But their former offensive coordinator has shown them what it actually means to emphasize the depth chart beyond the starting quarterback. Keenum then put all the proof in that pudding against the Eagles.
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