Lions' Goff 'fired up' for Super Bowl pursuit (2024)

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Jared Goff, the $212 million man of the hour, spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since signing the largest player contract in Detroit Lions history. Yes, Goff will be paid handsomely over the course of his extension, which takes him through the 2028 season. But for him, this deal was all about security and continuity, as the Lions chase that ever-elusive Lombardi Trophy.

“It was mostly security,” Goff said, when asked what he wanted out of the negotiation process. “I think you can go back and forth on the numbers and whatnot, and that wasn’t really the thing I was ever extremely concerned with. It was the security and the no-trade clause and all that stuff, knowing all that was in there. Feeling secure and then knowing I can now put that behind me and be excited about what’s to come.”

The Lions have certainly offered that at every step of the way. They’ve publicly backed Goff as their quarterback. They’ve surrounded him with one of the most talented offenses in football. And even though this extension was essentially a foregone conclusion, awarding Goff a no-trade clause gives him the peace of mind he didn’t have with the Los Angeles Rams, who traded him to Detroit in 2021. The Lions are committed to him, just like he is to them.

Goff has planted his flag in Detroit. He works with local high school students in the city, allowing them to create Detroit-themed merch designs for his clothing brand, JG16. He matches the sale of every clothing item sold, and those proceeds become the participating students’ college scholarships.

Over the years, Detroit has become home to Goff, though it took time to get to where they are now. Last year’s postseason run to the NFC Championship Game was the product of a road less taken — a slow, methodical rebuild in which success was linear. The Lions have gotten better and better with each passing year, going from a feisty 3-13-1 team in 2021 to a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

None of this happened overnight. It’s something Goff can appreciate now, whenever he looks back on those early days.

“It’s been tremendous, obviously,” he said. “I said this a minute ago upstairs, but the reward, the contract, and the success we’ve been able to have has been awesome. But the journey itself these past three years has been the true success. … Obviously, the wins and whatnot and getting the contract are amazing, but being able to go through that together with my teammates and my family, and go through the dark times and grow through those times and learn more about yourself and work on yourself, that’s the win in all this. I’m happy to be able to stand in front of you and be your quarterback for a lot longer. This city has meant a lot to me.”

One thing noticeable as the Lions have locked up three of their stars in Goff, right tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, is that this team feels comfortable talking about the Super Bowl as its ultimate goal. That was seldom heard a year ago. The Lions hadn’t yet proved themselves over the course of a full season. They’d never made the playoffs together as a unit, and would be quick to point that out when asked about their potential. But all that has changed now.

This team believes it’s built to compete for a Super Bowl, and has no problem discussing that. It’s why team officials quickly locked up the core of this team, so that they can focus on winning without distractions. It’s why those players wanted to remain in Detroit, knowing how close they were last year, and how well-positioned they are to get there.

“I’m more driven and more fired up than ever to go even harder and put the pedal to the metal even more to bring a Super Bowl to this city,” Goff said. “And that’s what’s most important. One day, I won’t be the quarterback here. And being able to look back on those days that I am (the quarterback here) and that I was with no regrets and knowing that I did everything I could to try and make that happen … that would be the ultimate goal.”

Required reading

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• How can you watch your NFL team in 2024? Full guide of streaming, cable and TV schedule
• Every NFL team’s 2024 regular-season schedule

(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy