Despite the strong and attention-grabbing words of his head coach, Jared Goff is in no immediate danger of losing his starting job, sources say. The evaluations for the future are ongoing.
After two tough games and two losses, Goff's job status has been the subject of criticism this week in Detroit. That accelerated when head coach Dan Campbell said Goff “needs to step up more than he has.” Campbell clarified that everyone else needs to, as well, but the lightning rod had been struck.
As Goff prepares to face his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, he is under fire.
For the winless and rebuilding Lions, there are two concurrent goals.
First, play the QB who gives them the best chance to win. As of now, that is Goff. There have not yet been conversations in the building about benching Goff in favor of David Blough. If the struggles continue, perhaps in the future. But not now. Goff does not have endless rope, but he does have plenty.
Second, who is the best QB of the future? Those evaluations are still ongoing, and no conclusion has been reached. Goff has significant guarantees in 2022 -- $26.15 million -- and if he's not the future, it gets complicated. An issue for Detroit to deal with at another time.
Goff had a really solid week of practice, raising hopes of a bounce back.
Meanwhile, as Goff prepares to face his old club, an interesting fact came to light that adds context to him leading Los Angeles to a Super Bowl following the 2018 regular season. Goff played all 16 games that season, as his team went 13-3 and he had a career year.
Goff did it all while dealing with a previously unknown foot injury that flared up that season. Sources say Goff actually had foot surgery after the Super Bowl season.
Essentially, a pain due to a fracture outside the fifth metatarsal flared up that season. The team fitted him with a custom orthotic. He played through it and missed no time.
After the season the Rams hoped rest and rehab, along with inactivity, would heal it. But it came back at the end of OTAs. Thus, surgery.
Doctors put a screw in it to secure the fracture during surgery, and Goff healed faster than expected in time for camp. A show of toughness and resiliency for which Goff rarely gets credit.
That sort of mentality will be necessary now as his play comes into focus.
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