It's wild to think that veteran signal-callerJared Goff, just four years ago, was seen as a lame-duck quarterback. A guy who was holding the clipboard until the Detroit Lions could draft their 'real' franchise quarterback. Before landing in Detroit, he spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where he played mostly good football. He was a two-time Pro Bowler for the Rams and four-straight winning seasons with the blue and yellow.
Yet, the Rams weren't thrilled and traded him to the Lions for their franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford.
Stafford and the Rams would win a Super Bowl, but would quickly fall from title contention. The Lions, on the other hand, took a slower path. They built their team up. Landed some impressive young stars like Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta.
Now, the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL every season, partly due to the young stars the team acquired in the draft, but also partly due to Goff's dynamic plays. Since landing in Detroit, he's had three straight seasons of winning football, three seasons of 29 touchdowns or more, and two more Pro Bowls to his name. By all accounts, he's as good as Stafford was in the Motor City.
Now, Goff could do something his contemporary never did in Detroit: win the NFL Most Valuable Player award. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Lions QB is tied for the fifth-best MVP odds (+1600), putting him only behind Patrick Mahomes (+200), Josh Allen (+300), Baker Mayfield (+350), and Drake Maye (+1000).
Week 7 vs. Buccaneers Could Make or Break Jared Goff's MVP Bid
A win this Sunday against Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would and should have him in the driver's seat for the MVP. Heading into the game with the Bucs, Goff is currently 10th in yards passed for (1,390), first in accuracy (75.9%), first in touchdowns (14), all while just 23rd in sacks against (9) and just 36th in the league in interceptions (2).
He's a top 10 offensive player who's beyond effective and doesn't negatively impact his team. Plus, the Lions are 4-2 with a top-10 defense and a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Hutchinson. If there's a year for a Lions player to win the MVP award, it's 2025. It's been decades since a Lions player was seriously considered for the award, and only one, Barry Sanders, has ever won the award before now.
A win on Sunday against a fellow MVP candidate in Mayfield would do a lot for Goff's claim to the crown. He'll have to continue to play well, obviously, a bad outing and a win doesn't do much (if anything) for Goff's credentials, nor does a good performance and a loss. Goff has to keep playing well and keep winning if he hopes to end the droughts the Lions are dealing with.
The only thing hurting Goff's chances is the dynamic running game the Lions have. They have two stellar running backs, who each require a lot of attention, which will hurt how many yards Goff can manage to throw for. Still, even with that, it's likely that Goff remains in the hunt for the MVP trophy all year long.
A win on Sunday against Mayfield and the Buccaneers would be a sweet way to officially launch his candidacy.
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Odds update periodically and are subject to change.