Quarterback Jared Goff said this week that being traded to the Detroit Lions was “the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”
It could soon make him one of the league’s top-paid players as well.
Insider Jeremy Fowler reported on April 14 that the team is working toward a contract extension that will pay Goff up to $50 million per year, though it would still take some time to work out the deal. Goff is set to enter the final year of his contract but is expected to remain in Detroit for the immediate future after helping turn the team into a Super Bowl contender.
Jared Goff Earned Major Bump in Pay
Appearing on SportsCenter on Sunday, Fowler said there is mutual interest between Goff and the Lions for a new deal and it could put him among the league’s top-paid quarterbacks.
“He wants to be there,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report. “Only 29 years old, due to make about $28 million this year, so he’s going to have to be in that threshold of $45- maybe even $50 million a year based on the way he’s played. So, it’s going to take some time to get that done.”
There are currently five quarterbacks making more than $50 million in average annual value, but Jacob Camenker of The Sporting News suggested that this figure could soon become a starting point for the league’s top signal-callers.
“The burgeoning market is understandable. Quarterback is the league’s most important position, but there exists a dearth of highly qualified, pro-ready prospects available to play it,” Camenker wrote in March.
“That drives teams to lock in a deal with any decent quarterback they find, no matter the price. This is made possible by the league’s ever-rising salary cap, which played a role in the baseline value for top-end quarterback extensions to draw closer to $200 million in total value and $50 million in average annual value (AAV).”
Other analysts anticipate a similar range for Goff’s next contract. Spotrac analyst Michael Ginnitti predicted in February that the Lions would give him a four-year deal worth $180 million with close to $150 million in guarantees.
Spotrac projects a 4 year, $180M extension for #Lions QB Jared Goff, including nearly $150M of practical guarantee through 2027.
FULL BREAKDOWN: https://t.co/5J9T6KjFvG pic.twitter.com/uVR2uClJdw
— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 28, 2024
Jared Goff Thrilled With Move
The Lions have taken a major step forward behind Goff’s leadership, winning the division for the first time in three decades and advancing to the NFC Championship game. Goff has raved about the franchise, saying in an interview this week that the trade that shipped him from the Los Angeles Rams was a turning point not just in his career, but his entire life.
“In hindsight, (being traded to Detroit) was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, for my career and my development as a human,” Goff said in an appearance on the “Trading Cards” podcast, via the Detroit Free Press.
Goff added that there were plenty of critics who thought his career was over when he was sent to Detroit, but he’s happy that they’ve been proven wrong.
“Being shipped off and being sent to a place to die, essentially, is what a lot of people think it was, and I was never going to allow that to happen,” Goff said. “I’m fortunate enough to be around a lot of good coaches and players in Detroit that support me and help me reach my potential.”
