The Detroit Lions are in soul-searching mode after their crushing defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. After the best regular season in franchise history, the Lions still came up short in the postseason, failing to make the Super Bowl.
Moreover, the Lions are going through significant changes in the offseason. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both left for head coaching gigs and the organization is now tasked with filling their big shoes.
In addition to the ongoing coordinator search, the biggest question for the Lions going forward is regarding Jared Goff. After another productive regular season, Goff’s shortcomings were made apparent against the Commanders as he turned the ball over four times. In a game where the Lions defense couldn’t get any stops, those turnovers were incredibly costly.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes spoke to the media for the first time since the loss and highlighted the organization’s faith in Goff. In his presser on Thursday, Holmes said that even after Johnson’s departure, he is confident in Goff, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.
Johnson has been widely credited for reviving Goff’s career and turning him into a top-ten QB in the league. The veteran quarterback earned himself a four-year, $212 million contract extension in the 2024 offseason. Perhaps that may be a reason why the organization feels like they have to ride with him for the foreseeable future.
Holmes doesn’t seem overly concerned with Johnson’s departure and its potential impact on Goff. In fact, he added that the 30-year-old signal-caller is just entering his prime now because “he keeps ascending.” He added that as long as he and Dan Campbell are here in Detroit, their confidence level in Goff “isn’t going to change.”
Goff had the best season of his career last season, finishing with a 72.4% completion rate, throwing for 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, leading the Lions to a 15-2 finish. Things didn’t go according to the plan in the playoffs, and it’s not clear that they will go forward, but it would be foolish for the Lions to think they can find an immediate upgrade in the position.
