Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell refused to discuss the specifics of his contract negotiations with quarterback Jared Goff at his Wednesday press conference, but he did say everything that needed to be said.
“I’m not going to get into contract talk, what we’ve (negotiated), what we haven’t.” All I can say is that he’s playing at a high level and that he needs to be with us.”
He must accompany us.
The Lions are clearly all in on Goff, and it’s simple to understand why. Take a look at Goff’s statistics since Week 9 of 2022: 4,152 yards, 7.7 yards per attempt, 28 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 104.3. If he had played in all 16 games in a single season, it would have been his finest statistical season to date.
So it should come as no surprise that when Goff was asked on Wednesday if he’s playing better football than even his Pro Bowl seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, his response was short and clear.
Yes, yes. Much (much) better.”
Campbell certainly concurs.”He’s playing at a very high level,” stated Campbell. “He’s making the throws that are there, he’s seeing the pitch and he’s exactly what we need and doing exactly what we ask.” But, as I’ve already stated, he is a developing quarterback. He’s evolving, he’s been improving, and he just keeps getting better and better.”
There is no pressing need to finalise a new contract with Goff. His current contract expires at the end of the 2024 season, but it’s reasonable to ask if the Lions quarterback will refuse to play in that final year of his agreement. Despite the fact that he is due a $5 million roster bonus, his $22 million salary ranks ninth for 2024, and his $31.7 million cap rank eleventh.
It’s unclear what Goff’s agents would look for in a contract, both in terms of length and value, but recent accords will most certainly be used as a guide. This offseason, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million contract with $92 million guaranteed, while Joe Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract with $92 million guaranteed.
Will the Lions try to get a deal done midseason? Will they wait until the end of the year or beyond? How close are they to a deal now?
Unfortunately, we don’t know the answers to those questions, but it’s clear that if it were up to Campbell, he’d make sure a deal gets done.
