"You're good enough for (expletive) Detroit, Jared Goff!"
In 2021, when Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions and "sent to die" by the Los Angeles Rams for quarterback Matthew Stafford, few could've imagined head coach Dan Campbell uttering those words during a locker room celebration. Even fewer could've imagined that celebration coming after Goff led the Lions to their first playoff win in over 30 years against Stafford and the Rams.
Most fans and analysts figured Goff to be a bridge to the next generation, but Campbell believed he could be so much more. He specifically made a push to acquire Goff in the trade with the Rams, according to ESPN's recent feature on Campbell. It's a move that paid off in droves.
When Goff lines up under center for the Lions' game against the Cleveland Browns, it will be his 69th regular-season game with the team -- the same amount of regular-season games he played for the Rams.
69 games would be the third most games started by a QB in Lions' history, 15 behind Bobby Layne and 96 behind Stafford. Throughout his Lions' tenure, Goff has surged up the franchise ladder, currently sitting in second in passing yards (17,648) and in touchdown passes (122). His 41 wins are third in franchise history, but second among QBs with an above .500 record.
With a win on Sunday, Goff will match his regular-season win total with the Rams. It's a record that's almost identical: 42-27 for the Rams and 41-26-1 with the Lions. Goff even has the same number of Pro Bowl selections (2) for each franchise. However, comparing Goff's numbers with the Lions to the Rams paints a very different picture. Goff has been so much better with the Lions.
Lions Jared Goff versus Rams Jared Goff
When the Lions acquired Goff, it was clear his time with the Rams was up. Following two fantastic seasons that saw him lead the Rams to Super Bowl LIII, Goff was figured out. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, after his Super Bowl LIII win over Goff's Rams, credited then Lions head coach Matt Patricia for establishing a formula to defeat the Rams by taking advantage of the limited amount of time Rams head coach Sean McVay could communicate with Goff prior to the ball being snapped.
McVay and Goff's relationship became increasingly strained afterward. Goff became damaged goods in his final two seasons with the Rams, and it was up to Campbell and his staff to fix him. It took time. It required a horrendous 4-19-1 start, an offensive coordinator change, and watching McVay and Stafford hoist the Lombardi trophy after Super Bowl LVI. It required patience, but good things come to those who wait, and no one has waited more than Lions fans.
Goff needs 524 passing yards on Sunday to surpass his 18,171 with the Rams. It's unlikely given the Browns' elite defense. However, Goff's 122 passing TDs with the Lions have already surpassed his Rams totals by 15. Goff has decreased his turnovers from 55 interceptions with the Rams to 40 with the Lions, and his fumbles from 42 to 29. This has led to a sharp uptick in efficiency stats as his completion % is up 4.9% from his time with the Rams (63.4% to 68.3%), and his passer rating is up 9.6 (91.5 to 101.1).
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These increases have also carried over into the playoffs as Goff has seen a completion percentage increase of 8.8% (57.4% to 66.2%) and a passer rating increase of 11.9 (79.9 to 91.8). Goff's two playoff wins as a starter match his Rams' total in one fewer start. That playoff success led to Lions fans starting the "Ja-red Goff" chants, which have continued to pop up at various sporting events years later, sometimes to the annoyance of Detroit Pistons, Tigers, and Red Wings fans.
Goff's improvements haven't gone unnoticed league-wide, either. Goff is coming off a fifth-place MVP finish, becoming the second Lions QB ever to receive MVP votes for a full season's play and the first to receive Offensive Player of the Year votes. He was voted as the 15th best player in the league by his peers in the NFL Top 100 list in 2025. Now, he's leading a team many have picked to win the Super Bowl. If he wins one, he may even be the recipient of Hall of Fame buzz.
It's been a storybook turnaround for Goff as he's preparing to enter a new phase of his career. One where he's played more games for the Lions than the Rams. Where his successes and failures with the Rams start to become a distant memory, and he becomes better known for his time wearing Honolulu Blue. Goff has already proven he's "good enough for Detroit," and when all is said and done, he may go down as the greatest QB in Lions history.
Yes, even over the guy hand-picked to replace him in Los Angeles.