Lions head coach Dan Campbell technically cannot discuss Jared Goff until the deal becomes official later this month. But like General Manager Brad Holmes, he can talk around the subject of acquiring the quarterback.
During a Wednesday interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Campbell was asked what he’s looking for in a starting quarterback — and described a player that could absolutely be construed Goff.
“I would say you’re looking for a guy who’s a winner. You’re looking for a guy who’s competitive,” Campbell said. “I think that you’re looking for a guy who knows how to calm the storm when things aren’t going great or aren’t going your way and it’s just you and the other 10 in the huddle. He’s somebody that can keep everybody on an even keel, keep them lined up, keep them focused, build them up with confidence — and to let them know when they look at him in the eyes that this guy is ready to go, and he’s going to do his job as long as I do my job.
“I think those are the big things. I’m not worried about a guy that we [would] need to go out there and throw it 50 times to win the game for us. To me, that’s not fair to a quarterback and there are very few that can do it in this league. And so, I think the guy needs to be tough. And he doesn’t have to be a rah-rah, tough, run-around guy. But there needs to be a quiet toughness about this guy.”
Goff has never been known as the most exuberant player, often described with the sense of “California cool.” But he’s also shown toughness, most recently getting back on the field following thumb surgery to help the Rams win a playoff game.
While Goff has won plenty of games — compiling a 42-20 regular-season record over the last four years — he also has been turnover prone, committing 38 since the start of the 2019 season.
But the Lions could draft a QB, too, with Holmes saying Tuesday that he likes the crop of quarterbacks in this year’s class.
Once the Lions can finally talk about Goff, there will likely be some more clarity about how the team really feels about him.