When the Lions traded Matthew Stafford, one of the aspects that made the Rams a solid trade partner was the ability to acquire Jared Goff in the deal.
General Manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have praised Goff all offseason, with Holmes recently saying that he’s sure Goff has a chip on his shoulder after the way the quarterbacks’ tenure with Los Angeles ended.
Though the Lions were open to the possibility of drafting a quarterback in the spring, they elected to select offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh overall pick. Goff is only 26, and the organization’s stance is that he can be a viable long-term option as QB1.
“I never viewed him as a bridge option,” Holmes said in an interview with the Lions’ website. “He’s been a winning quarterback. I think his resume speaks for itself.”
Most of the time, praise of Goff stems from his strong record as a starting QB — as the Rams went 42-20 with him a starter over the last four years. But Goff has been turnover-prone, particularly in the last two years. He’s committed 38 giveaways — 29 interceptions and nine lost fumbles, with eight more fumbles that were recovered.
Those giveaway issues are a significant part of the reason the Rams elected to trade for Stafford. If Goff cannot clean them up, then it’s unlikely he’ll end up as the Lions’ next franchise quarterback.