The Lions offense took the field for their preseason opener against the Falcons with quarterback Jared Goff in the lineup, but that wasn’t the original plan.
After the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that he planned for Goff to sit out on Friday night but changed directions after a conversation with the quarterback. Goff learned that the starting offensive linemen would be playing and told reporters that he “didn’t want those guys out there without me” after Campbell recounted their chat.
“He came to my office and said, ‘I want to play,’” Campbell said, via the team’s website. “I said, ‘You’re not playing’ and he said, ‘If they are playing, I’m playing.’ So, I said, ‘Ok, you’re playing.’ I appreciate that about him. He went out there and ran that offense. I think it’s about trust. He trusts them, I trust him, and I trust that o-line, and I trust [offensive coordinator] Ben [Johnson] is going to put them in the right situation.”
The Lions never had all five members of their preferred starting line in the lineup at the same time last season because of injuries, so the hope is that Friday night will be the first of many games that Goff plays behind the same unit.
Goff left the game after 10 snaps. He went 3-of-4 for 47 yards.