IN PHOTOS: Jared Goff's fiancée Christen Harper wraps up 2023 NFL season with major highlights after NFCCG exit
Jared Goff's season is over.
On Sunday, his Detroit Lions blew a 7-24 halftime lead at the San Francisco 49ers and eventually lost the NFC Championship Game 31-34. Up until that point, he had been instrumental in empowering the ground game, with David Montgomery, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, and even wide receiver Jameson Williams rushing for touchdowns.
But they would not score again until less than a minute remaining, and it proved too little to late. Nevertheless, Goff's fiancee Christen Harper showed her gratitude in a recent Insagram post:
Jared Goff would like to remain a Lion after best season in Detroit, but he is unsure of future
It is safe to say that the Jared Goff era may be the best in Detroit Lions history since the time of Barry Sanders.
After a rough season and a half in 2021 and the first half of 2022, they took a massive leap forward, almost making the playoffs. And the first overall pick of 2016, who joined the team via trade, was a key component in that turnaround, breaching 4,000 passing yards for the first time since 2019.
The 2023 season represented the apex of the Lions' era: a 12-5 record, NFC North title, and deep playoff run. And heading into the final season of his contract, Goff wants to continue wearing Honolulu blue and silver. However, he told reporters on Monday that it was not entirely in his hands:
“I love (head coach) Dan (Campbell), I love the (assistant) coaches and all my teammates. Yeah, it would be great. But it’s not up to me. It’s out of my hands, it’s up to my representatives and obviously the people upstairs (in the front office)... It’s just how the league goes. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Still, no matter what happens to him after 2024, he promises to cherish every great moment that occurred to him in 2023:
“It’s something I’ll never forget. Obviously the season didn’t end the way we had hoped (in San Francisco), and last night was disappointing. But yeah, those two home games in the playoffs were as special and electric environment as you can imagine, and it was a lot of fun.”
The three-time Pro Bowler ends the 2023 season with 407 completions for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns in the regular season, plus career-highs in almost every statistical category in the postseason.