Detroit Lions: Brad Holmes claims Jared Goff is not a bridge option

Detroit Lions general manager (GM) Brad Holmes claims that quarterback Jared Goff is not just a bridge option.

The second Detroit acquired Goff in a deal that also secured a boatload of draft picks for the Lions by sending Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles; I referred to Goff as a placeholder.  In other words, a bridge quarterback.

Now, months after the trade, I still believe Goff is a short-term answer at the position, but being just 26-years old, I am mildly optimistic the former first overall pick can rejuvenate his career in Detroit.

Some players need to hit the reset button, maybe blow out the game cartridge (reference for the older readers), and a clean slate may be just what the doctor ordered for Goff.  It’s apparent he and Rams head coach Sean McVay was at wits’ end.

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McVay no longer trusted Goff to run his explosive offense, and don’t forget, Goff had been selected by the Rams when Jeff Fisher was the head coach.  Usually, a head coach prefers ‘their’ guy at the position, and McVay’s got his guy now in Stafford.

The one glaring concern with McVay giving up on Goff so early is that if he can’t groom him into the player he had expected to develop into when he was draft first overall, nobody can.  Well, unless your name is Andy Reid or Kyle Shanahan.

I believe Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn will manage Goff quite well as the offense will lean on its rushing attack, which should complement Lynn’s often utilized play-action, downfield passing attempts nicely.

After you understand that the deal was conducted around acquiring the abundance of future draft capital and, in the meantime, adding a quarterback that MAY find a way to reinvent himself, it completely makes sense for the rebuilding Detroit Lions.

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes claims Jared Goff is not a bridge option.

Recently, Holmes mentioned to DetroitLions.com that he’s never viewed Goff as a stop-gap option. Instead, Holmes looks at Goff as a long-term option.

"“I never viewed him as a bridge option,” Holmes said. “He’s been a winning quarterback. I think his resume speaks for itself.”"

I will say this.  In professional sports, you are what they believe you are until you’re not.  Holmes isn’t going to come out and say that he’s unsure if Goff is the long-term answer.  He’s going to give him a vote of confidence and continue to evaluate him, and exhaust all of his options on a year-to-year basis.  Holmes opted to select Penei Sewell over Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft; that alone should give Goff confidence that the organization is willing to turn the keys over to him, and he won’t need to look over his shoulder.

The Detroit Lions are not doing Goff any favors with the group of receivers they provide him with during his first year with the organization.

Brad Holmes had a role in the Rams drafting Goff, and he’s comfortable bringing him to Detroit for at least two seasons.  After the 2022 season, the Detroit Lions can release Goff without suffering a massive dead cap penalty.  If this takes place, that means the organization has drafted who they believe to be their next franchise quarterback in one of the next two NFL Drafts.

At 26-years old, Goff has made a Super Bowl appearance, has had playoff success, and has played in two Pro Bowls. In 69 career games, Goff has thrown for 18,171 yards, 107 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions.

Goff also maintains a career quarterback rating (QBR) of 91.5.  If you are wondering, and I know you’re likely curious, Matthew Stafford’s career QBR is 89.9.