Whatever anyone on the outside of the organization's specific feelings about it is, it's no longer a matter of if Jared Goff will get a contract extension from the Detroit Lions, it's when. There is the not-so small matter attached to the length of said deal, but it's happening.
There have been no reports about contract talks between the Lions and Goff all season, as expected, but with 2024 being the final year of Goff's current contract there's no way he's not getting a deal done this offseason if the Lions intend to keep him for a while longer. And good, bad or otherwise, his stay in Detroit is not ending in 2024 barring something unforeseen.
On the angle of upcoming playoff results mattering for Goff's contract extension, that may only have impact on the yearly value of the deal in new money. Not that it will be done, or that he has otherwise earned it. Those ships have sailed.
Jared Goff's agent hints at when a contract extension will be done
Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic, as part of a piece about Goff (subscription required), spoke to Goff's agent Ryan Tollner. Progress, or lack thereof, on a contract extension was a natural topic and Tollner seems confident a deal will be done early in the offseason.
"They said all the right things to Jared and to me, that (this season) is not about him having to prove himself for another year,” Tollner said. “Inevitably, players always feel that way. If you don’t make a long-term commitment, then they feel like you don’t completely believe in them.”
So Goff will not go into next season, as expected, as what amounts to a lame-duck quarterback without a contract beyond that. The idea the Lions would wait and see how Goff did without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson next year, should Johnson take a head coaching job, was put to bed by Tollner.
Tollner's sentiment about an extension for Goff, and it being done fairly early in the offseason, is absolutely expected. But Lions general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have not hidden their feelings about Goff, and their desire to have him as their quarterback long-term.
As part of a "Predicting Quarterback Resolutions for 2024" piece, Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac wrote this about Goff, with a contract projection at the end.
"Los Angeles’ trash is Detroit’s future. Jared Goff hasn’t had the cleanest season (10 INTs, 6 fumbles), but he’s done more than enough to warrant more financial security from the Lions. Goff will be entering a contract year in 2024, set to earn $26.6M against a $31.6M cap hit.
The 29-year-old currently calculates to an extension in the $39M-$40M per year range, but a significant postseason run can certainly flex those numbers quite a bit."
"THE LIONS EXTEND JARED GOFF TO A 4 YEAR, $180M CONTRACT ($135M GUARANTEED), INCLUDING $50M CASH IN 2024.
Whenever the Lions' season is over, the first big move of their offseason may very well be announcing Goff's new contract.