Brad Holmes puts Jared Goff on the clock in 2021
Jared Goff is under pressure in 2021
In the spring of 2016, the L.A. Rams were on the clock with the first overall pick. The then Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes fell in love with California quarterback Jared Goff. Holmes pounded the table so hard that he left GM Les Snead no option but to draft Goff.
Fast forward to January 2021, and Brad Holmes is the new GM of the Detroit Lions. And in his first move as GM, Holmes dealt Matthew Stafford to the Rams for two first-round picks and Jared Goff.
Plenty of pundits expect year one to be a tricky year for Goff. Therefore, year one would get classed as a mulligan for Goff. Instead, in Thursday's press conference, Brad Holmes firmly put the pressure on Goff: "So Jared is a very accurate quarterback, and he has receivers that are getting open. I think it's been easy to evaluate Jared."
That's correct; the man who fought vehemently for Jared Goff is now telling him that the pressure is on. Despite his healthy relationship with the GM, Goff is in the spotlight.
Jared Goff must perform.
Due to the Lions' beefy draft capital, every draft analyst will link the Lions to a quarterback. It would have been easy if Holmes had said year one, the pressure is off Goff, and he's the guy. Holmes chose not to.
That speaks volumes about the quarterback situation. The ball is firmly in Goff's court. At the end of the season meetings, Holmes won't make concessions when discussing Goff's performance.
At 27-years years old, Goff isn't old - he should be entering the prime years of his career. Instead, he arrives in Detroit as an outcast. Sean McVay no longer wanted Goff on his team.
After a joyous Super Bowl run, Goff's play declined to an alarming level. The interceptions and bad decisions became more prominent in his game. That became untenable, and the team that gave up so much to draft him and then paid him a boatload quit on him.
History is not on Goff's side.
Recently, NFL teams have used young quarterbacks on rookie deals as a ticket for success. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Carson Wentz enjoyed great success on rookie contracts.
Despite restructuring Goff's contract, it is still a bloated deal for a player deemed damaged goods. There is always a good crop of young collegiate quarterbacks coming through for the 2022 NFL Draft.
That complicates the situation for Goff. Dan Campbell spoke about biding his time for a quarterback in the offseason. The new head coach spoke glowingly about how the Chiefs waited for the right player at quarterback.
The Lions won't worry about the cap concerns. The salary cap is set for an increase once the new NFL TV deal kicks in. Teams are no longer concerned about carrying dead cap money. It muddies the situation for Goff even more.
After sweating on the decision to draft Jared Goff in 2016, the new GM has firmly put pressure on Goff. He expects quality quarterback play. Holmes wants Goff to step up and command the Lions locker room.
Sportspeople often hit crossroads in their respective careers. Jared Goff is at a massive crossroads. His career in the NFL as a starting quarterback is on the line. His most trusted confidant is not going to make excuses for him - no one else will.
The unassuming Californian needs to go out roaring like a Lion in 2021. Otherwise, his stayover in Detroit might resemble a pit stop.
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