It's been weeks since the Detroit Lions' hiring of Drew Petzing as the team's new offensive coordinator was made public, and we now have the first public comments from the Lions' star quarterback.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press shared a 38-second clip of Goff speaking to the media at the practice for the 2026 Pro Bowl games, after the QB was selected for the fifth time in his ten-year career. Goff was asked if he's "looked at" Petzing's offense and his thoughts on that heading into next season:
"Yeah, I watched a ton of it. I'm excited, man. Been on the phone with (Petzing) and gone through some things, and he's very smart, very bright, can speak it, can say it, understands what I'm talking about. Really excited."
In Birkett's full article on Goff's comments on Petzing's hire, the Lions QB mentioned he spoke with Arizona Cardinals' QB Jacoby Brissett, whose passing numbers exploded after taking over for Kyler Murray mid-season, including breaking Goff's NFL record for completions in a game. Despite Brissett's impressive 3,366 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, the Cardinals finished 1-11 in his 12 starts.
Goff said he received "glowing" reviews of Petzing leading up to the hire, specifically, "quarterbacks who have played for him were glowing."
What to expect from Petzing's offense
So what excites Goff most about working with Petzing this upcoming season? "Versatility"
"I think the thing that excites me the most is going to be his versatility. He's not tied to an offense. We're going to kind of run what we're best at and what we should be doing, which, some of the stuff we've done the last few years, that's worked."
Goff mentions that Petzing has "got the right personality and demeanor and teaching ability" for the Lions OC job, and continuing by saying, "and most importantly, his intelligence and mental dexterity, for lack of a better word, to be able to kind of handle not only the complexities of what we're going to try to do, but, like getting the ball to guys."
READ MORE: Brad Holmes' comments on Drew Petzing say everything about Lions' 2026 roster
Goff expects some changes to the system, such as terminology, but reiterated that that happens every season, including the years under former OC Ben Johnson. "I think he speaks every language," Goff said, "and that's kind of the good thing. He understands what we're saying from a pass-game standpoint and how we want to do things, and how he wants to do things."
"By no means is he going to be running our stuff. We're running his offense, but there's going to be certainly a blend of what I like, what he likes, what (Amon-Ra St. Brown) likes, what (Jameson Williams) likes, and everybody."
The Lions certainly don't have to change too much. Goff continues is run of consistently great seasons, throwing for 30-plus touchdowns and finishing second in passing yards for the third consecutive season. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, as well as wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, all performed at a high level last season. The talent is clearly there.
The need for more efficiency and consistency
Despite the Lions finishing fourth in points scored, the Lions were faced with play-calling and offensive line woes. The offensive line struggled to give Goff time in the pocket, while the offense, called by then OC John Morton, struggled to find rhythm throughout the season.
The offense was boring and predictable, and defenses like the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles feasted. Morton was relieved of his play-calling duties late in the season before being fired shortly after the season ended. The Lions may have finished with an above .500 record for the fourth consecutive season, but 9-8 was a far cry from 15-2 in the previous season.
Senior news writer Kevin Patra of NFL.com, in his article, included an additional quote from Goff, which speaks to the heart of the Lions' offensive issues last season: efficiency and consistency.
"The years where we were really good, winning 12, 15 games. It was efficient. It was consistent. We weren't really having like bad games where I felt like this year we had some bad games offensively. You're gonna have a bad play or a bad series, that's gonna happen. But being able to get back on track quickly is something that we need to be able to do. We know we have the players. We know we have everything we need in place. It's just consistency and raising our standard a little bit and level execution."
It remains to be seen if Petzing is the answer to those issues, but Goff openly recognizing them and still being excited for what Petzing will bring to the offense should create some optimism. It means the team will be working hard to fix that issue in the offseason to try to get back to the dominant and fluid offense they once were under Johnson, if not better.
How involved was Goff in the OC search?
The question that is on the minds of many in the Lions' fanbase is just how much involvement did Goff have in the search? The offense is already built around Goff's strengths and weaknesses at the position, so it would make sense for him to be involved in some capacity.
When asked how involved he was in Petzing's hiring, he said that he "wasn't a part of the interview process," but said that he "was very much in communication with" head coach Dan Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes, and "all of them that were making that decision."
READ MORE: Amon-Ra St. Brown sends blunt message to Lions fans slamming OC hire
Overall, Goff is excited to work with Petzing and the new look offense. Goff expressed confidence, saying that Petzing has "done it before," adding that, "He’s been a coordinator, he's called plays, and I think he was a home run hire, and I'm really excited for him."
Goff, along with St. Brown, tackle Penei Sewell, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, and linebacker Jack Campbell, will be representing the NFC in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, which is set to be played on February 3rd at 8:00 P.M. (EST) on ESPN.