Will Jared Goff Become Highest-Paid Quarterback?
Jared Goff is the Lions' unquestioned No. 1 quarterback entering the 2023 season. And, he's more than earned that status.
With a solid performance at training camp and another successful season in Motown, a very large contract extension could be awaiting the veteran signal-caller.
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens currently earns $52 million annually.
One or more playoff wins in '23 could make Goff one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the entire NFL.
Reason for hope
The 28-year-old Goff experienced a career resurgence of sorts during the 2022 campaign. He threw for 29 touchdowns and tossed just seven interceptions on 587 pass attempts, good for the lowest interception percentage of his career (1.2 percent). Additionally, he failed to throw a single interception during Detroit's final nine games of the season. And, over that same span, Goff produced 15 touchdowns, finished No. 2 in Total QBR (69.8) – ranking behind only two-time Super Bowl champion passer Patrick Mahomes – and guided the Lions to a 7-2 record.
For the year as a whole, Goff recorded a 61.1 QBR – the fifth-best mark among all quarterbacks in 2022. The only year in which he totaled a higher QBR came in 2018, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams (63.6).
And, as the result of his impressive campaign, he earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl since the 2018 season.
Entering his third season in Detroit, Goff subsequently faces no serious competition for his job.
There could be a backup quarterback battle brewing, though – just not during the 2023 season.
Training camp battle
The Lions will enter the upcoming season with multiple backup quarterback options: Nate Sudfeld, Adrian Martinez and Hendon Hooker.
Sudfeld, who spent last season as Goff's backup, was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason. Meanwhile, Martinez, who spent his collegiate career at Nebraska and Kansas State, was brought in as an undrafted free agent.
And, Hooker, who is still in the process of recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in mid-November, was selected by Detroit in the third round of this past April's NFL Draft (No. 68 overall).
Because of the nature of Hooker's injury, the Tennessee product isn't expected to see the field in 2023. It'll be a redshirt season of sorts for the rookie passer, who'll be expected to soak up as much knowledge as possible from Goff.
Even with Martinez also in the fold, it likely leaves the door open for Sudfeld, who has yet to start a single game in his NFL career and isn't viewed as much of a potential starter, to serve as Goff's backup – and uncontested – for a second straight season.
The true battle for the backup role will come in 2024, when Hooker is presumably fully healthy and ready to compete for the job. At that point, Hooker – who has the potential to be a starting NFL passer one day – should have the upper hand on Sudfeld and Martinez (or whomever the Lions bring in to compete with Hooker for the gig).
Player to watch
Although I'd like to say it's Martinez (since he does have the ability to make some highlight plays via his legs), he doesn't throw with enough accuracy to profile as an NFL starter one day.
It brings me to Hooker, even though he likely won't be given a chance to play this upcoming season. And, it's because of all the upside that the dual-threat signal-caller possesses.
In 11 games last season with the Tennessee Volunteers, Hooker threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns, while adding another 430 yards and five scores as a runner. For his efforts, he was named the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
If he would have stayed healthy, he could've very well been a Heisman Trophy finalist and a first-round pick.
Due to the uncertainty surrounding his health, Hooker's major responsibility in his inaugural NFL campaign will be to serve as an understudy to Goff. It's a role that the first-year pro has been looking forward to for a while now.
"I'll be a sponge, come in and learn every nuance of how to be a pro," Hooker said after being drafted by Detroit. "Just admire him (Goff). He’s been doing a great job of developing every year. I’ll be picking his brain whenever I can."
With time and proper development, I believe that Hooker has the potential to grow into an NFL-caliber passer. And eventually (and maybe even next year), he could pose as a legitimate threat to Goff's reign of supremacy atop Detroit's QB depth chart.
