New Jared Goff contract projection confirms price Lions will pay to keep him

In a certain light, the fact the Detroit Lions have not agreed to a contract extension with quarterback Jared Goff yet could be concerning. In a more realistic light, it wasn't coming until after the draft no matter what. It's a clear priority for the team this offseason, and Goff wants to stay. It's just a matter of getting it done, and the time will come.

The cost is inching up for Goff's contract extension, as the quarterback market always rises. The recent deal Kirk Cousins got from the Atlanta Falcons has been noted by Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports as a potential new factor in the negotiations between the Lions and Goff. Mike Valenti of 97.1 The Ticket suggested Cousins' contract terms (four years, $180 million) as the possible template for Goff's new contract.

Robinson set the price for Goff a little higher than what Cousins got.

"Cousins’ deal with the Falcons is going to weigh on the Goff extension talks. Not only is Goff younger (29), he has achieved considerably more in the postseason than Cousins. And what once looked like it could be a $50 million per year price tag for the Lions quarterback is now essentially assured of it..."

New Jared Goff contract projection confirms price Lions will pay to keep him

Last week, Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team took a look at some quarterback contract extension candidates to watch. Goff is an automatic inclusion on that list.

"Jared Goff in Detroit, another player, where, when they got him in the Matthew Stafford trade, people were not sure if he's actually the quarterback. Is he a bridge quarterback? Will they try to get somebody else eventually? He has proven to be the guy in Detroit, the fans all love him. We saw what he did last year, nearly taking them to the Super Bowl. They're all-in with Jared Goff....He will likely fall into that category right between Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray. Maybe $50 million per year, maybe a little bit under that, but he will be in for the long haul in Detroit."

By Meirov's projections, including new deals for Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa, Goff would become the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL based on annual average ($49 million). The bottom line is the price keeps creeping upward, now with multiple mentions how Goff can reasonably command $50 million a year. And unless they somehow have another plan at quarterback, the Lions will be paying him that or very close to it beyond the 2024 season.