See why they chose Joe Burrow over Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff.
Football is not played on spreadsheets, and football rosters cannot be created primarily on them. The merits of the Detroit Lions’ four-year, $212 million contract extension for Jared Goff can and will be discussed. His new average annual pay ($53 million) places him ahead of quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. Giving a second-tier quarterback—if we’re being generous—the same share of the pie as truly excellent players is hardly a good business strategy. But letting the individual who inspired this walk out of the building isn’t a good business strategy either.
It’s not shocking that the Lions have committed to Goff. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have made it plain that Goff is a key component of their future plans. Nonetheless, the deal’s worth surprised many, particularly the average annual value and the $170 million in guarantees. Yes, the league’s wage cap increased by 13.6% this offseason, from around $225 million last year to $255 million in 2024. Even after accounting for wage cap inflation, Goff received a significant increase in pay relative to other sub-elite quarterbacks. Here are all of the significant quarterback contracts awarded since Mahomes reset the market in 2020 by earning a 10-year, $450 million deal:
