Brad Holmes: Everyone Forgot Jared Goff Can Play

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has always believed in Jared Goff.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes was not surprised at all quarterback Jared Goff rebounded nicely in his second season in Motown. 

Speaking with Peter Schrager on the latest edition of "The Season" podcast, Detroit's third-year general manager shared why he has always believed Goff could play at a very high level in the NFL. 

Holmes recalled, “I’ll never forget, Les (Snead) asked me, ’Do you want Jared in this trade?’ And I was like, ‘Hell, yeah. Absolutely,’ It wasn’t like, ‘Just give me any quarterback. No, I was like, ‘I want Jared in this trade.' The way that the narrative was of how the trade went, it kind of went, ‘Oh, Jared can’t play.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, this guy was just playing in the Divisional (round) playing with a broken hand, completing 70% of his passes. Like, why can’t he play anymore?’"

In many recent interviews, Holmes has discussed the impact recency bias has on how fans view draft selections and also how they viewed the play of the former No. 1 overall pick. 

Given Goff was included in a trade and struggling his first season in Detroit, many began to doubt what the 28-year-old could actually accomplish. 

"What quarterback would be successful going through that type of situation," Holmes asked, recalling how injured the Lions' offensive line was, and just how low the number of offensive weapons the team had on the roster back in 2021.

Being able to withstand the early criticisms and rebounding nicely in 2022 reinforced to Holmes that Goff has the traits that embody the City he plays in. 

“He’s a Detroit Lion. He’s that," said Holmes. "He embodies what the city’s about. And I think the toughness and everything he’s endured, I think everybody just has a lot more appreciation about him."