Jared Goff isn’t making much of Ben Johnson’s comment into a full-blown issue.
The Lions quarterback addressed the dust-up on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s recent podcast, after Johnson drew attention for joking about being able to call plays for a quarterback who was “not so mobile” while talking about Chicago’s Monday Night Football win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Some fans and critics took that as a swipe at Goff, who spent time with Johnson in Detroit.
“Ben can't seem to get out of his own way when he's talking to the media,” Goff said on Amon-Ra St. Brown's recent podcast. “I know there was no ill intent to that, but he seems to be a lightning rod for [the media]; they pick up everything he says.
“It’s funny. He called me, he messaged me this morning, like, 'Dude, you know that means nothing, right?'”
Goff said he told Johnson not to worry about it and made clear that everything was “good” despite the reaction. He also left the door open for a little payback later.
“I'm saving something. I'll have to throw something his way at some point,” Goff joked with St. Brown on the podcast, adding he would call the Lions' former OC to tell him, “You know I'm just kidding.”
For what it’s worth, Goff has never been a quarterback built around running. That’s part of why he and St. Brown both landed on the same conclusion: Johnson is a “good dude,” and the comment wasn’t meant as anything personal.
The numbers back up Goff’s start to the season. He has 802 passing yards and eight touchdowns, along with nine carries for 15 rushing yards in three games. Keenum, who played in his first game since late 2023, had four carries for six yards and a rushing touchdown in Chicago’s 27-7 win over the Eagles on Monday.
Both the Lions and Bears are 2-1 heading into the rest of the season, and they’ll meet again on Nov. 26 in a Thanksgiving Day matchup that could give Goff a chance to get in the last word.
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Dan Campbell said Wonnum has shown steady development, which makes his status worth tracking as the week goes on. Bartchs situation is also one the team has been dealing with for a while, and Detroit will need more clarity before it can feel comfortable about the available depth in the trenches and in the secondary. The Lions have already played enough football to know availability can shape the plan in a hurry, and this week is trending toward another one of those tests. [Read more 🡒]