Lions quarterback Jared Goff has some work to do to restore his good name in 2022. After an underwhelming first season in Detroit following his unceremonious exile from the Los Angeles Rams, it’s clear the book on Goff is still not a positive one.
Look no further than the NFL quarterback rankings from The Ringer. Analyst Steven Ruiz ranked the Week 1 starting quarterbacks from 1 to 32 in advance of the start of the season.
It takes some scrolling well down the rankings before unearthing Goff. He’s No. 25 on the list, sandwiched between San Francisco’s Trey Lance and Daniel Jones of the New York Giants.
Labeled “A talented (but stationary) thrower,” Goff sits below unproven players like Lance, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa and even Seattle’s journeyman backup Geno Smith. His best attribute is listed as arm strength, while the biggest weakness cited is creativity.
No doubt the disappointing final season with the Rams and the miserable start to 2021 are difficult to ignore when evaluating Goff. But the improved finish, once Ben Johnson took over the Lions offense, as well as Goff’s two Pro Bowl nods in the last five years seems a little overlooked.