The debate is over: Jared Goff will be Detroit Lions' well-paid QB for a long, long time

In the Detroit Lions’ loud, giddy, “I love you man,” bro-huggin’, back-slappin' locker room, coach Dan Campbell held a game ball in his hands.

“I’ll just say it like this,” Campbell said after the Lions’ playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams. “You’re good enough for Detroit, Jared Goff.”

Campbell flipped the ball to Goff, who caught it with two hands at his chest, and his teammates exploded in cheers.

If ever there was a moment that summed up everything about this season, that was it. Goff is one of the main reasons why the Lions are heading to San Francisco for the NFC championship game. He has been resilient, made key throws when needed, remained cool under pressure even when things have gotten fanny-clenching tense, made solid smart decisions, hasn’t turned the ball over and — by far the most important — guided his team to wins.

Watching Goff kneel at the end of a playoff game never gets old.

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You’re good enough for Detroit, Jared Goff.

No doubt.

But I hear something else in that comment.

A nod to the future.

Goff is here to stay

There’s no question anymore, is there?

Goff is the Lions QB, not just now but for the long term.

He fits this city — he was once discarded but is rising again.

Now, Goff has two playoff wins — the first Lions QB to win two playoff games since … hmm, checks notes, checks again, wow ... since the Lions won the 1957 NFL title.

“It’s just the way he’s made,” Campbell said Monday. “He does stay calm, he does stay cool, and he knows even if it feels a little shaky, a little rocky, it’ll smooth out."

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Campbell knew Goff was special in 2021 when the Lions started out 0-10-1, because of how he handled himself when the Lions hit the lowest moment.

“When you are 0-10-1, you find out about people,” Campbell said. “You find out about players and coaches, people in the organization. And so, that’s why you have the best perception of what those people are and how they’re made and what drives them and what they’re willing to do for those around them. That’s a much better viewpoint and look at people than when everything’s going great, you’ve got 12 wins. So, he’s one of those guys. I know exactly what he is when it’s at its worst, and I’ll take that guy any day.”

Everything since has just confirmed it even more.

We could run though Goff’s spectacular 2023 regular season numbers — he has the NFL’s second-most passing yards (4,575), fourth-most TD passes (30), most passing first downs (227) and second-most explosive plays over 20 yards (69).

But we have seen big numbers in this town before.

In my mind, all that matters is getting to the playoffs and winning.

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And the Lions have gotten Goff to play at a much higher level in two playoff games than he did in six with the Rams.

I realize it’s a small sample size but check out his playoff stats:

Goff has improved his playoff completion percentage from 57.4% with the Rams to 74.3% with the Lions; he has improved his yards per game from 216.7 yards to 282; and his QB rating has soared from 79.9 to 111.8.

Give the Lions coaches credit for that.

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The Lions have done a fantastic job of molding their offense to Goff, finding what he does best and leaning into it, instead of forcing him to fit into a pre-existing system.

“I always think his situational football and his knowledge of the protection has really taken the next jump,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Wednesday. “He’s grown immensely from Campbell’s installation of how we like to learn our game management stuff.”

But Goff is quick to credit Johnson for how they work together and have open communication.

“It allows me to really be a part of the plan in some ways,” Goff said. “And he’s a great listener and listens to not only me, but all the players of what they want, what they see. And that’s not only through the week, but on gameday the same way.”

Hey Sheila, break out the checkbook

“Ja-RED Goff!” the fans in Ford Field chanted before the Lions played the Rams. “Ja-RED Goff!”

Can you imagine what he was feeling when he was facing the Rams? The team that traded him? The team that basically said: We can’t win with you. We are gonna dump you, and our future, for Matthew Stafford.

Yes, it worked out for the Rams — they won the Super Bowl.

But that trade, ironically, has put the Lions in an incredible position to keep Goff going forward.

Goff, who has a current salary cap hit of $30.9 million, has one year left on his deal at $31.65 million.

In all likelihood, the Lions will have to extend him this offseason.

But it’s going to be extremely costly.

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The top five QBs in 2024 have salary cap hits that range from $49 million (Stafford) to $63 million (Browns QB Deshaun Watson).

So, you have to figure Goff is going to get $50 million or more — if there is one truism in the NFL, it's that QB salaries never stop going up; and someday, it will be considered a bargain.

But I would argue, it’s going to be worth it.

And it’s the cost of winning.

But here’s the best part for the Lions. This is different from when Stafford was pulling in massive contracts and the team had tons of holes. Because, right now, Lions have a nucleus of young, inexpensive players — thanks, in part, to the Stafford trade, Brad Holmes’ sharp drafting and how the coaches have developed those players — so they are set up to win for years, even with a high-priced QB.

Besides, when you find a proven playoff winner at QB, you keep him.

As Holmes has said, “it’s a lot easier to get worse at quarterback than to get better.”

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.

To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

Next up: 49ers

Matchup: Lions (14-5) at San Francisco (13-5), NFC championship game.

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Sunday; Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California.

TV/radio: Fox; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Line: 49ers by 7.

At stake: Sunday’s winner will face the winner of Sunday’s game between the Ravens and Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jared Goff will be Detroit Lions' well-paid QB for a long, long time