2021 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings: How far ahead is Patrick Mahomes?
By Randy Gurzi
22. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
There was a time when Jared Goff was supposed to be the next big thing. Coming out of Cal in 2016, he was the No. 1 pick for the Los Angeles Rams and was supposed to help them usher in a new era as they returned to their home after a long stint in St. Louis.
As a rookie, Goff struggled mightily and was 0-7 as a starter. Then, he was paired with Sean McVay as the Rams hired the young coach who was a sensational play-caller. Goff ended up excelling under McVay and even had back-to-back seasons with 4,600 yards passing.
In all, he had 18,171 yards with 107 touchdowns and 55 picks. He did enough for Los Angeles to give him a four-year $134 million extension in 2019. But now in 2021, he finds himself on a new team as he was traded to the Detroit Lions for Matt Stafford — and the Rams also had to give up a slew of picks, partially due to the large contract Goff has.
The belief with the former No. 1 overall pick is that he’s a product of what McVay has been doing for him and that his numbers are inflated because of it. The struggles L.A. had for some of the 2020 season — and 2019 — have been placed on the shoulders of Goff.
Perhaps some of that is unfair but sadly, he’s not in a great situation to prove anyone wrong. Detroit doesn’t have a great receiving corps and Dan Campbell seems more concerned with biting knee caps and wearing racing helmets than orchestrating an offense similar to what McVay had around Goff. This could be a tough season for Goff, and one that might really hurt his stock going forward.