Lions see Jared Goff as the future, not Hendon Hooker
Jared Goff isn’t going anywhere, yet. The Detroit Lions remain committed to him as the starting quarterback for 2023 and possibly beyond.
Quarterback Jared Goff’s future really hasn’t changed since the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s still the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback, and recent reports suggest he and the franchise are chugging along toward an imminent extension.
Goff took over under center two years ago and is coming off arguably the best season of his career. In 2022, he threw for 4,438 yards and 39 touchdowns, serving as Detroit’s most pivotal playmaker down the stretch as the Lions nearly clinched a playoff berth.
He didn’t throw a single pick in the team’s final nine games and earned his third career Pro Bowl award, along with deserved CPOY consideration.
The Lions may have hinted that 2023 third-rounder Hendon Hooker will become the franchise’s quarterback of the future, but that future is many years away.
It’s still going to be the Jared Goff show in 2023, and Goff and the Lions are reportedly “in a good place” regarding his contract negotiations.
Lions appear confident about retaining Jared Goff for the near future
Goff is currently under contract through the 2024 season; he will cost the Lions $31 million against the cap this year and $32 million against the cap next year.
After this offseason’s flurry of quarterback extensions, Goff could be primed for a pretty sizable payday, albeit he won’t get close to Jalen Hurts’ or Lamar Jackson’s market-resetting numbers.
A more reasonable comparison for him may be Giants’ Daniel Jones, who secured a four-year, $160 million extension just before the franchise tag deadline.
Goff will be expected to build upon last year’s success as other key offensive pieces grow into larger roles — Jameson Williams, for one, should be fully healed from his ACL injury and ready to break out in Year 2 once his gambling suspension is up. And despite losing their top two running backs, Detroit re-upped with David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, a potential deadly dynamic duo on the ground.
Where does Hendon Hooker play into all of this? Hooker’s focus will be on getting healthy, first and foremost, having torn his ACL last December. Depending on how well his rehab goes, he could see some snaps in the 2023 season, or he could spend the year on the bench learning from Goff.
Goff, after all, ranks as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC North in the wake of Aaron Rodgers’ departure, and his time in Detroit isn’t nearly over yet.
