Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions might’ve seemed like an odd pairing when the quarterback was surprisingly traded to the Motor City in 2021. But Goff’s had plenty of memorable moments since the blockbuster deal.
Goff ranked second in the NFL in passing yards in 2023, he guided the Lions to their first division title in 30 years, helped snap Detroit’s 32-year playoff win drought and now this summer he and his fiancée, Christen Harper, have a wedding planned.
A pretty eventful few years for the California native turned Detroit resident.
“I’m from California, born and raised, but Detroit has become a new home for me,” Goff said to USA TODAY Sports while promoting his new partnership with, coincidentally, Jared the Galleria of Jewelry.
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Detroit was severely impacted economically by the Great Recession and later became the largest city to file bankruptcy in U.S. history. Detroit’s since had significant economic progress since its financial crisis.
Goff was pushed out the door by the Rams as the afterthought in a trade that sent fellow quarterback Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles.
Not much was expected of Goff in Detroit. But he had a Pro Bowl season in 2022 and was instrumental in the Lions’ two playoff victories last year.
“Everyone can relate on being told you’re not good enough or cast aside. Whatever we want to call what happened to me when I was traded. The way it happened and the suddenness of it,” Goff said. “Everyone can kind of relate to that. To be able to thrive in a new setting I think is rewarding. For me, certainly, but people in our city can relate to that.”
Goff, who is entering the final year of a four-year, $134 million extension he signed in 2019, hopes he can be in Detroit for the rest of his career. The quarterback said he and the Lions have had “good discussions” about a contract extension.
“Absolutely. I would love that,” Goff said about staying with the Lions for the rest of his playing career. “That would be amazing.”
Lions general manager Brad Holmes has indicated the team would like to keep Goff long term as the club hopes to build on its success from a year ago.
“Hopefully we can stay that course and keep improving and keep upgrading,” Holmes said at the NFL’s annual league meeting last month. “I know we’re better today than we were when we ended the season.”
As it stands now, Goff is preparing for a wedding this summer and a 2024 season with increased expectations, inside and outside the building, in the aftermath of a playoff-drought ending campaign.
“Expectations have raised internally. They’ve raised externally. Our standards have raised,” Goff said. “It’ll be really important for us to know that it’ll take more from us in all aspects. It’ll take more effort (and) more work than it did before. We understand that we are the defending champs in our division. The other three teams are gonna want to take us down. That’ll be step one, and from there hopefully holding the trophy at the end of the year.”
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