Well, this is intriguing. ESPN's Dan Graziano put together a list of the most intriguing players that could define the 2023 season. All the usual suspects were there. Aaron Rodgers and Stefon Diggs made the list of course. The surprising one though, was Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Here's a little of what he had to say:

"If he has a big year and leads the Lions to the playoffs, they could decide that he's worth signing up as their long-term QB solution. (Again, he'll only be 29 next offseason.) If he flops and/or the Lions fail to live up to their preseason expectations, it will be easy for Detroit to get out of the contract next spring. Goff is due no more guaranteed money, and he would be just $5 million in dead money against the cap in 2024."

That's it right there. Everything is on the line for Jared Goff this season. Not just his job with the Lions, but his future and the direction of this franchise as well. 

It's a pretty nerve racking situation to be in. Right now, Goff has gone out and put up a pretty impressive run with the Lions. He finished in the top 10 of every major passing category, he's turned the ball over less than any quarterback in the league in his last 23 games and the Lions are winning. All of that could be forgotten of Goff goes out there and lays an egg this coming season. 

There's cause for concern because we've seen Jared Goff regress before. After a great 2018 season that saw him lead the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl, Goff's game took a big dip in the following years and eventually the Rams decided to trade him away for Matthew Stafford. Could that happen again? Not the trade for Matthew Stafford, but the regression thing. 

Anything is possible in this league. We've seen players like Geno Smith, a guy who was very much forgotten, turn into a Pro Bowl quarterback and we've seen guys like, the aforementioned, Matthew Stafford win the Super Bowl and then make you wonder if he's physically able to play this game anymore the next year. So who really knows what happens with Goff? 

What I can say is that Goff has all the tools he needs to make sure that he doesn't regress again. Particularly offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who turned down the head coaching job with the Panthers to stick around with Goff. Johnson recently said this about Goff. 

"He’s one of the biggest reasons why I didn’t want to leave. I feel we are tied together to a degree. He’s an extension of me, and I’m an extension of him. I’ve told him multiple times that his success is my success, and vice versa."

When you meet a coordinator that works for you, special things can happen. That's why Goff was able to have arguably the best year of his career in 2022 and that's a big reason why he can keep that going. 

He also has former Pro Bowl quarterback Mark Brunell by his side too. Brunell has been with Goff in Detroit since the beginning and while there's no way to prove it, I think he's had a lot to do with the restoration of Goff's confidence out there. 

Don't forget his weapons. Amon-Ra St. Brown is still here and he'll be joined by Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and more this season. Oh yeah, he also has one of the best offensive lines in the league. Goff has all he needs to make sure he has a great season in 2023. 

Don't be surprised to see it happen and then see the Lions sign Goff to an extension after the season. He could really plant some roots in Detroit if he lead the team to a division title and a playoff win. 

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