The Detroit Lions destroyed the Same Old Lions narrative this season with an incredible turnaround. They went 8-2 the rest of the season after a 1-6 start, earning a winning record for the first time since 2016. Quarterback Jared Goff is a major reason why.
Many believed Goff to be a bridge quarterback when the Lions acquired him two years ago. However, that hasn't been the case, if Lions general manager Brad Holmes is to be believed.
“I never really deemed him as a bridge. I think everybody else did,” Holmes told the media recently. And the actions the Lions have taken seem to indicate Holmes isn't lying about his view of the former first-overall pick.
The Lions picked seventh overall in 2021, giving them the opportunity to put a blue-chip quarterback prospect behind Goff for the upcoming season. Instead, they selected offensive tackle Penei Sewell, which has worked wonders for them.
In 2022, they picked second and 32nd. Goff struggled to begin the season before getting better towards the end. Detroit again didn't draft a quarterback, using their first-round picks to select Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams.
In fact, the Lions haven't drafted a quarterback since 2017. They selected Miami signal-caller Brad Kaaya with the 215th overall pick in that draft.
This past season saw Goff take a major step forward. He completed 65% of his passes, throwing for 4468 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He committed just one turnover in the final 10 weeks of the season as the Lions threw the fewest interceptions of any team in the league.
Holmes didn't entirely close the door on drafting a project quarterback this season. However, it doesn't appear the Lions will look to replace Goff as the starter for 2023 at least.
“If it's a football player we really love, I mean, we're going to make sure every stone is unturned, but I do think that Jared has proven (to) everybody that he is a starting quarterback for us,” Holmes told the media.
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