Agent View: In order to retain Jared Goff for the long run, how much will the Lions have to pay him…….
Detroit just advanced to its first conference final in more than thirty years under Goff’s leadershiP.
head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams has become weary of Goff due to his regression. Even after Goff inked a four-year contract extension at an average of $33.5 million annually just before the 2019 regular season began, he still believed he needed an upgrade at quarterback.
On January 30, 2021, McVay’s wish came true. An agreement was reached for the Rams to trade Matthew Stafford to the Detroit Lions in exchange for three first-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2021, as well as quarterback Jared Goff. Goff was perceived as a pay dumper or throw-in who would only
It’s Goff who has the last laugh. In addition to posting a 97.9 passer rating and completing 67.3% of his passes for 4,575 yards with 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, he also guided the Lions to a 12-5 record and their first division title in thirty years. Goff’s completion % was a career high and was ninth in the NFL. In the league, he was rated fourth in touchdown passes and second in passing yards, respectively.
More significantly, the Lions made it to their first NFC championship game since 1991. In a wild card playoff game against the Rams, Goff defeated Stafford 24-23, providing him with some sense of vindication.
Reports had surfaced that the Lions and Goff’s camp were going to work on a contract extension during the summer to make him one of the highest-paid players in the league, prior to the team losing 34-31 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. In 2024, the last year of his contract, Goff is expected to receive $27,950,064 on a $32,950,064 salary cap number. The $27,950,064 is made up of a $5 million roster bonus for the second day of the 2024 league year and a $22,950,064 base pay for 2024 that includes the $975,000 in escalators Goff received as a result of his 2023 performance.
Goff acknowledged that he wanted to remain in Detroit permanently but said he had no control over it. “It’s not my decision,” Goff remarked. “I adore this.”
Goff might be laughing all the way to the bank in no time. A new Goff contract should be more lucrative than Matthew Stafford’s 2022 extension thanks to his strong performance versus the Rams. With his four-year, $160 million contract, which pays $40 million year on average, Stafford is presently tied for the 10th highest salary in the league with quarterbacks Daniel Jones of the Giants and Dak Prescott of the Cowboys. Of the $135 million in guarantees included in the transaction, $63 million was completely guaranteed at the time of signing.
After a fantastic postseason in which the Rams won Super Bowl LVI and taking into account the high cost to acquire him from the Lions, Stafford most likely had the contract power to set his own terms for an extension. Rather than making the most of his power, Stafford apparently want
The explosive growth of the quarterback market in 2023 should help Goff. In 2023, four quarterbacks—Jalen Hurts of the Eagles, Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, Justin Herbert of the Chargers, and JeO Burrow of the Bengals—raised the standard for NFL pay by signing contracts for more than $50 million annually.
The current standard bearer is Burrow. As the regular season was about to begin, he was rewarded with a five-year, $275 million contract that would pay him an average of $55 million annually in early September. Thanks to $1.25 million in annual incentives throughout the extension years (2025 through 2029), the deal’s value can reach up to $281.25 million. Upon signing, Burrow had salary guarantees totaling $219.01 million, of which $146.51 million was completely guaranteed.
An extension should be signed before Goff’s roster bonus is payable on March 14. By doing this, the $5 million may be prorated over the course of the contract, up to a maximum of five years, and added to the signing bonus that Goff would earn in the event of a contract extension. This would assist reduce his $32,950,064 2024 cap hit.
