Jared Goff is about to walk into 2026 with a new voice calling the shots again, but the expectation in Detroit hasn’t changed much: the Lions still run through him.
That’s the reality for a quarterback who has already seen plenty of turnover in his time with the team. Goff came to Detroit in 2021 with Anthony Lynn as his offensive coordinator, but Lynn didn’t last a full season in that role. Dan Campbell took over the play-calling on an interim basis before Ben Johnson eventually became the guy.
Once Johnson settled in, Goff took off. The pair built a strong connection, and the results were huge: 96 touchdown passes, 13,642 yards and two Pro Bowl trips across Johnson’s three seasons as offensive coordinator in Detroit.
Johnson is gone now, having left to become the Chicago Bears’ head coach in 2025, and the Lions had to fill a major hole. Campbell turned to John Morton, a longtime assistant who had previously been the offensive coordinator of the N.Y.
Jets in 2017. Morton, though, had a familiar ending too, with Campbell taking over play-calling duties from him midseason.
So here comes another reset. Detroit will enter a second straight season with a new offensive coordinator, as Drew Petzing takes over as play-caller. Petzing spent the previous three seasons as the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator before joining Campbell’s staff.
Even with all that change around him, Goff remains the engine of the offense. Last season, Detroit ranked fourth in points per game at 28.3 with him under center. Goff completed 68 percent of his passes, threw for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2025, and kept the mistakes down with just eight interceptions, his lowest total since his second season in Detroit in 2022.
Over five seasons in Detroit, the 31-year-old has piled up 21,451 passing yards and 149 touchdowns. He’s also helped Campbell’s team to a 48-33-1 record, along with four straight winning seasons and NFC North titles in 2023 and 2024.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs still in the mix, there’s plenty around him to keep the production rolling. The forecast here is another strong year for Goff in 2026: 33 touchdown passes, 4,551 yards and 10 interceptions.
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Lions Suddenly Have Another Core Contract Decision Brewing
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LaPortas situation carries a little more urgency because he is moving toward the end of his rookie deal, while Gibbs has a bit more contractual breathing room. The tight end market has been moving, and Detroit will have to balance what LaPorta means to the offense against the cost of getting ahead of the next wave of deals, with talks still ongoing and no deadline forcing a quick resolution. [Read more 🡒]
This Lions Ranking Just Exposed A Big 2026 Depth Concern
The first wave of Detroits 2026 roster ranking says plenty about how much turnover this team could be dealing with, and how much of the bottom half is still more projection than certainty. About half of the players in the 30-to-21 range are newcomers, which is a reminder that the Lions are not just filling out depth, they are trying to sort out who can actually hold down important jobs once the lineup starts getting tested.
Some of the names in that group come with real questions attached. Larry Borom was viewed as a possible right tackle answer before the latest addition changed that picture, while Ennis Rakestraw is trying to get back into the mix after missing all of 2025 and now has a path to a bigger role with Terrion Arnold gone. At running back, the staffs view of Isiah Pacheco suggests more uncertainty than comfort, and on defense Christian Izien was brought in to help stabilize a safety spot that has already been affected by injuries. [Read more 🡒]