Most fans expected the Detroit Lions to draft a quarterback this offseason but head coach Dan Campbell might have other plans.
Last offseason, the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and two first-round picks. The main commodity of the trade for Detroit was the draft capital that will be used to rebuild a (possibly intentionally) depleted roster.
Goff was viewed as a placeholder until Detroit found its franchise quarterback. However, that place might be held longer than expected.
Head coach Dan Campbell spoke on the possibility of bringing Goff back for the 2022 season and seemed open to the idea of running it back under center.
“Yeah, I mean I don’t see why not. He’s playing pretty good ball now,” Campbell said.
Jared Goff could be the Lions quarterback in 2022
Before missing Week 16 with COVID-19, Goff had won two of his last three starts, including victories over the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.
During that three-game stretch, Goff threw seven touchdowns to only two interceptions, completed 66 percent of his passes, and averaged 242 passing yards per game. The 27-year-old quarterback looked to be an utter disaster earlier in the season and it looked like Campbell and the coaching staff were losing confidence in him.
At one point after losing to the Bengals in Week 6, the head coach even called out the quarterback’s play and said he needed to step up. In recent weeks, it seems as if the former No. 1 overall pick has taken that to heart and delivered better results.
The Lions are clearly in a rebuild and the team has holes all over the roster. Drafting positions around the quarterback while retaining Goff may not be the worst idea. This year’s quarterback class in the draft is not that appealing and it could be more useful for Detroit to build a competent roster around the former Ram.
Goff might not be the long-term answer for the Lions but it must be said that he has little to work with. Given the circumstances, it might make the most sense to follow Campbell’s lead, keep him for 2022, and then look at the more compelling quarterback options in the 2023 draft — assuming Goff doesn’t prove to be the answer next season after the roster improves.