Happy 32nd birthday to Jared Goff, Cal’s second-ever No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, and a quarterback whose career looks a lot different now than it did when he first entered the league.
It’s worth pausing on just how long Goff has been in the NFL: he’s already in his 11th pro season. That alone can be a little startling. Even more striking is the shape of the journey - early promise, a Super Bowl run in his third season, and then the sharp disappointment of a 13-3 loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, a game in which the Los Angeles Rams never found the end zone.
Then came another turn, this one after the Rams traded him to the chronically terrible Detroit Lions following the 2020 season. Goff didn’t let that define him. Instead, he responded with a 51-35-1 record over five-plus seasons as the Lions’ offensive leader.
Two seasons ago, he helped Detroit get all the way to the NFL title game, where the Lions fell 34-31 to the 49ers and missed their first Super Bowl appearance by three points.
That leaves the obvious caveat: Goff still hasn’t won a Super Bowl. But beyond that, his career has become hard to dismiss as anything other than a success.
Through five games this season, Goff has thrown for 1,485 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. If he keeps this pace, he’s headed for more than 5,000 passing yards for the first time in his career, after four straight seasons with at least 4,000. Aaron Rodgers never got to 5,000.
He’s also on track for at least 30 touchdown passes for the fourth consecutive year. Brady never managed that.
The numbers keep stacking up. Goff has climbed to No. 23 on the all-time passing yards list with 41,107, moving past Johnny Unitas, who finished with 40,239, and even his childhood football hero, Joe Montana, who had 40,551. He’s also 23rd all-time in touchdown passes with 268, just five shy of Montana.
None of that means Goff belongs in the same category as Unitas, Montana or Brady. The game is different now than it was in their eras, with more passing, longer seasons and rules designed to protect quarterbacks and boost offense.
Still, every current quarterback plays with those same advantages.
And the larger point is simple: Jared Goff has become better than most people could have expected, and his story isn’t finished yet.
In Other News...
Cal's Wake Forest Outlook Suddenly Rests On One Huge Injury Call
Cals buildup to Wake Forest just got a lot more complicated with the first injury report of the week. The Bears opened with three of their own key names on the questionable list: quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, running back Adam Mohammed and safety Kingston Lopa. Cooper Perry also showed up as questionable, while Nate Burrell was ruled out, leaving Cal with some real uncertainty as it prepares for a game that already carried plenty of weight in the ACC race.
The biggest issue, naturally, sits at quarterback, where Sagapoluteles status will shape everything Cal wants to do on offense. Wake Forest has some questions of its own, with wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and defensive lineman Langston Hardy also listed as questionable, but the Bears are the team with the most immediate decisions to make. If the quarterback situation doesnt clear up, Cal may have to lean on Jackson Brousseau in a spot where every rep and every available playmaker suddenly matters a lot more. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Has A Huge ACC Opening If One Question Gets Answered
A full first month of ACC play has already started to sort out the league race, and Cal suddenly finds itself with a chance to make a real move when Wake Forest comes to Berkeley. The Bears enter a weekend slate that figures to shake up the standings, with several one-loss or unbeaten conference teams likely taking another hit somewhere along the way, and Cals own path is straightforward enough: handle business at home and stay in the mix near the top of the table.
The biggest issue hanging over the matchup is at quarterback, where Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele remains in concussion protocol and still has to clear the final hurdle before he can be available Saturday. His status matters because Cal is staring at one of those early October games that can alter the feel of a season, and the Bears know the opportunity is there if the offense can be put in the right hands at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Cal's Young Roster Showed Just Enough To Keep Fans Watching
The first look at Cals womens basketball team under the lights at Haas Pavilion came against a harsh measuring stick, and UCLA made sure the Bears felt the gap in an 87-53 exhibition defeat. Even so, the game offered a glimpse of why there is curiosity around this roster, with senior guard Lulu Twidale handling scoring duties and a young supporting cast getting an early taste of what the season will demand.
Ruby Perkins was one of the more encouraging signs, showing poise as a freshman while helping Cals offense move in spurts. The Bears now head to USC for another exhibition tune-up before opening the regular season at home against Washington State, and the next stop should tell a little more about how quickly this group can settle in. [Read more 🡒]