Lions QB Jared Goff Gets Career News Amid NFL Offseason

Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions have work to do heading into the 2026-27 NFL season, following their 9-8 record in 2025, which kept them out of playoff contention. It was a heartbreaker to see this team fall short of getting to the postseason, especially after being No. 1 in the NFC and NFC North just one season ago.

But, that’s in the past, and the Detroit Lions are focused on the future. One of their biggest moves, of course, was bringing on offensive coordinator Drew Petzing from the Cardinals in January 2026, replacing John Morton, and Petzing will work closely with Goff for the upcoming season.

Now, Goff is getting some good career news on the back of the 2025-26 season, and it’s just what he needs to get that extra boost of confidence for what’s ahead. In the 2025 regular season, Goff started all 17 games, rounding out the year passing for 4,564 yards, which was second in the NFL, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions with a 105.5 passer rating. He also successfully completed 393 of 578 passes at 68.0%, according to NFL research.

Detroit Lions Quarterback Jared Goff Gets Respect in Latest News

Well, the season has come to a close, and in a feature out on Wednesday, February 11, from the NFL’s official website, Nick Shook lays out his final tally of the best quarterbacks from the year.

Even though the Detroit Lions didn’t get to the playoffs, he has Goff in a high spot, which is a nice boost to the signal-caller going into the 2026-27 season. He has Goff as the No. 9 best quarterback in the NFL for 2025 and in the second tier.

“Jared Goff produced at a rate that was very similar to his last two seasons and tried his best to rescue a Lions offense that declined in 2025,” he states in the piece. “Their running game’s disappearance undercut their chances, though, and put a target on his back that he was unable to shed in the final month of the regular season.”

Honors for Another Detroit Lions Quarterback

Shook also has former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford at No. 1. In the piece, he plainly states that Stafford “was, in fact, the best quarterback in the NFL.”

“His playoff performances proved it: He engineered a comeback win on the road in Charlotte, N.C., to advance beyond Wild Card Weekend,” Shook adds in the piece, “piloted the Rams through choppy, frigid waters in a Divisional Round overtime victory in Chicago and nearly singlehandedly threw the Rams to the Super Bowl in a narrow NFC Championship Game loss in Seattle.”

He continues, stating that “Stafford produced his best season of his career in 2025, showing off an elite blend of arm strength, accuracy and decision-making ability that made the Rams one of the favorites to win it all. Best of all: He’ll be back in 2026.”

In another bit of good news, Eric Woodyard of ESPN has the Detroit Lions as the No. 7 best team in the NFL going into the 2026-27 season.

“After failing to reach the postseason, the Lions need to focus on improving their offensive line — particularly in the interior,” he notes in the piece, out on February 8.

He adds that, “The Lions were 31st in pass block win rate at 55.5% and could benefit from taking a guard in the early rounds of the 2026 draft. Even All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell admitted after the season that the unit wasn’t completely in sync and will look to get its ‘swagger back’ under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.”

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson