Since being acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the blockbuster Matthew Stafford trade before the 2021 season, Jared Goff has firmly established himself as the face of the Detroit Lions.
What initially appeared to be a temporary stop has instead turned into a long-term partnership, with the veteran quarterback earning the trust of teammates, coaches, and fans alike throughout his tenure with the team.
Under Goff’s leadership, Detroit has enjoyed its most successful stretch in a generation, highlighted by an appearance in the NFC Championship Game and a dominant 15-2 regular season that followed. Although both campaigns fell short of the organization’s ultimate goal, there’s every reason to believe Goff has the talent, experience, and supporting cast necessary to guide the Lions on another deep postseason run.
Under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, the Lions are expected to rebound from how they performed under former OC John Morton, who was not retained.
Detroit Lions Quarterbacks Coach Mark Brunell Laid Out His Expectations For Jared Goff In 2026
Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell, who joined the club under head coach Dan Campbell in 2021, laid out his expectations for Goff heading into the new season while also acknowledging his high football IQ levels.
“Staying consistent. Staying at the top of his game. He will. He works very hard,” Brunell told reporters during veteran minicamp. “He’s smart and has been in this system. He’s very accurate. And we expect him to play at a high level, and he will. That’s what he brings to the table every day. Listen, this is just OTAs, this is minicamp, and you approach every day as if it were the regular season, which we love.”
Brunell added, “We will go as far as (Goff) takes us and we’re very fortunate to have a quarterback like him, (and) to have a person and leader like him in this building.”
The good news for the Lions is that the club has moved past the frustrations of last season, which saw them miss the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2023 despite an elite campaign from Goff.
“At some point, you have to move on. And I think, really, this spring, this whole team, offense, defense, and special teams, we really are looking forward,” Brunell said of missing the playoffs last season. “I know it’s been brought up about last year. But, honestly, I think this team and the coaches, all of us, we’re thinking about this upcoming season. We have learned from our mistakes last year.”
“What I love is not only his talent and his ability, but this is very important to him,” Brunell said. “I think I said this last year, Jared is in pursuit of a championship. That’s how he approaches every day.”
Goff and the Lions will open Training Camp later this month, and their first pre-season game takes place on August 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jared Goff’s Numbers Last Season Were Top Notch
Goff cemented himself among the NFL’s top quarterbacks last season, ranking second with 4,564 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes. He also finished third in passer rating (105.5), sixth in completion percentage (68.0%), and sixth in yards per attempt (7.9).
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