Lions quarterback Jared Goff is returning for the season finale.
Goff is expected to play on Sunday against the Packers, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. Goff has been dealing with a knee injury, but he said this week that he thinks he’s moving around well enough that he can go.
Goff has missed three games this season, and Tim Boyle started in his place. Goff hasn’t been particularly good this year, but Boyle has been even worse, so if the Lions want to end their season on a winning note, Goff is the right quarterback to lead them.
The Packers have nothing to play for on Sunday, having already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Aaron Rodgers likely won’t play the whole game for Green Bay. That’s why the Packers, who have the best record in the NFC, are only 3.5-point favorites over the Lions, who have the worst record in the NFC.
A big question going forward for the Lions is whether Goff will be their starting quarterback in 2022. How he plays on Sunday won’t determine that, but it will give him an opportunity to convince Campbell that he deserves a shot as a second season as the Lions’ starter.