allen park — Money was never a question or concern for quarterback Jared Goff in his contract negotiations with the Lions.
To be sure, there has been some outside discussion about whether the extension will average more or less $50 million. But after Goff’s individual production and team success the past two seasons, he was always destined to become one of the highest-paid players in the league once again.
What mattered most to Gove was security. Not just financially, but being able to confidently put down roots in Detroit, a city that has grown to embrace the California native as one of its own. That’s why he was keen to secure a no-trade clause as part of the deal, which is designed to keep him with the Lions through the 2027 season, at the very least.
“I guess you can go back and forth in terms of numbers and so on, but it wasn’t something I was very interested in at all,” Goff said. “It was about security and the no-trade clause and all those things that were there. (It was) feeling safe and knowing that now I can put that behind me and be excited about what’s to come.”
When asked to explain this clause, Goff noted that it has become common with the league’s best quarterbacks. Among them, Russell Wilson had one with Denver and Deshaun Watson had one with Houston. It gives the player a level of control over their future if the relationship ends unexpectedly, as happened in these two cases.
For Goff, the existence of a no-trade clause is more personal. He didn’t have that control in 2021, when, a year after signing a similarly massive extension with the Los Angeles Rams, he was unceremoniously dealt to the Lions, along with three draft picks, for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
This wound has long since healed, but the scar still remains. Naturally, a bad memory led to an unexpectedly brighter future. Years later, Goff confidently described the trade as the best thing that could have happened to him, both personally and professionally.
“It was huge, obviously,” Goff said. “I said this a minute ago upstairs, but the reward, the contract, the success we were able to achieve was amazing. But the journey itself over the last three years has been the real success. The real meaning of success, I believe.
“Obviously the wins and getting the contract is amazing, but being able to go through that with my teammates and my family, going through the dark times and growing through those times and learning more about yourself and working on yourself, that’s the thing about winning through all of this, I’m happy that I’m able to Standing in front of you and being your quarterback a while longer.
Goff, a three-time All-Pro, led the Lions to a division title and playoff victories in the most three-times record last season. After a slow start to his tenure with the franchise, as the rebuilding process entered simultaneously with his buyout, he settled into completing 66.2% of his passes for 9,013 yards and 59 touchdowns the past two seasons, leading the team to a 21-13 regular season record during that span.
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