Mark Brunell 'Thrilled' to Coach Jared Goff

Read more about new quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell and his excitement level in coaching Jared Goff.

New Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell wasted no time getting acclimated with new Detroit quarterback Jared Goff. Brunell estimates he’s watched every snap from Goff’s last two seasons.

As a result of this, Brunell is qualified to make an evaluation of Goff. Additionally, Brunell played 17 seasons in the National Football League. He knows what it takes to be successful.

And he believes Goff can be, too.

“(He’s) very talented,” Brunell said. “Hard working. Positive attitude. Everything that you’re looking for. Competitive quarterback that has won, I believe, 42 games, in addition to leading a team to the Super Bowl.”

Goff has had his fair share of nay-sayers, including what some believe to have been a coaching staff full of them in his final year with the Los Angeles Rams. However, he has Brunell in his corner, as he turns a new page in his career.

“I cannot wait to get him on the field and see what he can do in person,” Brunell said. “I’ve seen a lot of tape, I’ve seen some incredible plays and incredible plays. And, I’m absolutely thrilled to coach this young man. He can’t get here soon enough.”

Speaking with the media, Brunell was asked about the most important trait of a winning quarterback. Although he couldn’t narrow down one specifically, Brunell said that Goff has many of the qualities he looks for, including work ethic, passion and leadership.

“All that falls under that passion that you have to have for the game,” Brunell said. “Not just for the game, but for being great at the game. That’s critical. And, I believe our quarterback has that.”

Relationship with Dan Campbell made Detroit an easy choice

When asked why he chose to come to Detroit, Brunell didn’t hesitate.

“It’s easy, Dan Campbell,” he said plainly.

Brunell and Campbell, the Lions' head coach, became friends in 2009, their one season together with the New Orleans Saints. Campbell did not appear in a game that season, while Brunell started one when Drew Brees rested for the playoffs.

The two formed a strong bond, and would reconnect sparingly throughout the following years. However, the connection was so strong that Brunell didn’t waste any time when contacted by Campbell about the vacant quarterbacks coaching job. 

“This business, obviously, it’s about football,” Brunell said. “It’s about relationships, too. It’s about people. Getting the opportunity to work for someone I have respected and admired for a long time, it was an opportunity I could not refuse.”

Detroit Lions

Brunell sees similarities to an all-time underdog

There are plenty of parallels between this 2021 Lions team’s preseason expectations and that of Brunell’s Jacksonville Jaguars team in 1996. That season, Brunell started all 16 games, and threw for a career-high 4,367 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Behind what would be a Pro Bowl season for him, Brunell led the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game in just their second year as an NFL franchise.

“We were a team that many people didn’t give much of a chance to do anything,” Brunell said. “Kind of sounds familiar, doesn’t it. My point is that it can happen, and we believe it’s going to happen. There’s something about being a part of a football team where everyone outside the building tells you that you can’t (win).”

In a similar vein, the 2021 Lions are not expected by most to produce even a .500 season. That sentiment is not shared inside team headquarters, according to Brunell.

“The message inside the building is, you know what, forget about what you’re hearing or what people are saying. You have to believe that you can. Certainly, this is going to be a group that believes that we can.”

"Lots of ice" in rookie minicamp

With the Lions electing to not bring in a rookie free-agent quarterback, responsibility fell on the coaching staff to create a look for the rookies during full-team workouts.

For Brunell, that meant warming up the wing that he hadn’t needed to use competitively since his final season in 2011. Brunell, along with offensive quality control assistant Tanner Engstrand, handled the quarterbacking duties.

“There was a lot of ice bags, no question,” Brunell said. “I went old school. I probably had five ice bags on (my) shoulder.”

When he wasn’t throwing, Brunell was helping coach Engstrand. This role, coaching Engstrand, is one that Brunell joked was the toughest of his career.

“All I did was throw some routes, coach up Tanner,” Brunell said. “Actually, Tanner didn’t really need any coaching. He did a good job, and honestly allowed us to have a practice.”

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