The Detroit Lions shipped Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in a major trade package for Jared Goff five years ago now, and while the Rams won the Super Bowl in that first season, the Lions have really cemented themselves as a top NFL franchise since then.
While Goff might not be the raw quarterback talent that Stafford is, he's a lot younger and a more efficient passer overall. Frankly, the Lions win football games because of Goff, and if it wasn't for some mounting injuries and poor defensive showings in 2024 and 2025, Detroit may have captured a Lombardi Trophy.
And this isn't Goff's first rodeo. He's been in the NFL since 2016 and is already entering year 11 in the NFL. With that comes some all-time history staring at Goff as a make-or-break 2026 season approaches.
Detroit Lions could see Jared Goff reach some all-time NFL history soon
Goff doesn't turn 32 years old until October, and with the style of quarterback he plays - of the pure pocket passer variety - the odds that he sustains this type of production further into his 30s are likely, and it's way more likely than the dual-threat quarterbacks that dominate headlines today. Since Goff has played a ton of football, he's climbing some all-time leaderboards in a few key statistics:
Passing Yards
21. Dan Fouts - 43,040
22. Derek Carr - 41,245
23. Kerry Collins - 40,922
24. Joe Montana - 40,551
25. Johnny Unitas - 40,239
26. Andy Dalton - 39,793
27. Jared Goff - 39,622
Passing Touchdowns
16. Carson Palmer - 294
17. Warren Moon - 291
18. Johnny Unitas - 290
19. Vinny Testaverde - 275
20. Joe Montana - 273
21. Joe Flacco - 272
22. Patrick Mahomes - 267
23. Dave Krieg - 261
24. Derek Carr - 257
25. Jared Goff - 256
Goff is also 24th all-time in passes completed, 29th all-time in passes attempted, 12th all-time in passer rating, and 14th all-time in completion percentage. He could slide into the top-20 all-time in passing yards in the near future. Goff is 3,419 passing yards away from passing Dan Fouts for 21st all-time.
Sitting at 20th all-time in passing yards is Drew Bledsoe with 44,611. Goff would need 4,989 yards to tie Bledsoe. Goff has never hit 4,700 passing yards in a season, and it's simply uncommon for a quarterback to throw for that many yards in today's NFL.
It's very likely that Goff eclipses the 4,000-yard mark for the 5th year in a row and gets on the cusp of breaking into that top-20 spot sometime during the 2027 NFL Season. Goff is also very close to breaking through in passing touchdowns as well. He's 38 away from tying Carson Palmer for 16th all-time.
Goff's career high is 37 touchdown passes, so it's likely that he'll pass many of the quarterbacks above him. With Patrick Mahomes sitting at 267, though, Goff likely won't pass him up, but there is plenty of room for both Goff and Mahomes to get inside the top-20 in passing touchdowns, and there is a very strong chance that Goff eclipses the 300 passing touchdown mark during the 2027 season.
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Some lesser-important-but-still-notable quarterback categories like completed passes, pass attempts, and passer rating are also painting Goff in a great light. Where Goff does have a major advantage here, as noted above, is his age and style of play.
Goff isn't a 35-year-old player who is beginning to decline. In fact, he's gotten better with the Lions than he ever was with the Rams. In his Lions career thus far, Goff has thrown for at least 29 passing touchdowns in each of the last four seasons. He's not missed a start during that time and has finished with a winning record each year.
He's finished with a passer rating above 100 two years in a row, and has averaged 4,448 passing yards and 31 touchdowns across a 17-game season in his Lions career. While much of this likely won't matter to fans if a Super Bowl never comes, the Lions do have a special quarterback.
Goff being able to sustain this level of play for the next 3-5 years, which is very possible, could have him approaching even more legendary status. He's been named to five Pro Bowls as well, and there is a non-zero chance that a future Hall of Fame enshrinement is on the table.
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