The Detroit Lions struck gold when they acquired Jared Goff from the Los Angeles Rams, as he has turned into one of the best signal-callers in the game today.
While Goff is undoubtedly one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, the situation behind him on the depth chart is much murkier as Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen are the only other options on the roster and, quite frankly, neither has the track record to make fans think they would be able to step in and keep the Lions offense moving with the precision Goff does.
That raises the question, what other options are out there? Fortunately for Detroit, there are several.
Lions Must Sign Free Agent Veteran QB to Solve Glaring Depth Issue
Over the last three seasons, Goff has started in all 51 of the games he has appeared in, leaving little concern over whoever is behind him on the depth chart. Lions fans can knock on wood all they want, but in the NFL, you are always one play away from being called upon as the next man up. If that were to occur in Detroit this season, then the Lions would be in a very tough spot.
Hooker has nine pass attempts for his career. Thinking he is set to take over the offense in the event Goff goes down is more of a hope than a belief. Allen has much more of a resume to judge him off of, but that doesn't help his cause much either. The veteran has played for five teams over his seven seasons in the NFL and has put up rather pedestrian numbers at every stop.
So, who could the Lions target on the free agent market to come in and solidify that backup quarterback spot behind Goff? There are plenty of names to choose from, but the one that might make the most sense is former All-Pro Carson Wentz.
Having a stable veteran presence who has proven the ability to run an offense at a high level during his career would ease concerns. The fact of the matter is this: Wentz would never see the field unless Goff were to be injured. In that scenario, trusting him makes more sense than adding a young quarterback who has less experience in high-pressure situations, as the Lions will be facing plenty of them as they look to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
The argument could be made for plenty of other candidates, Desmond Ridder and Tyler Huntley being two that immediately come to mind, but in terms of a fit for the offensive style that Detroit employs, a veteran like Wentz being behind Goff on the depth chart would raise the floor of the backup QB position for the Lions.