Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff keeps landing in the same neighborhood, and that says plenty about how the league views him.
In The Athletic’s latest veteran quarterback tiers, Goff came in at No. 8 for the third straight season, keeping him in Tier 2 once again. The annual ranking, written, designed, and produced by Mike Sando, Kavya Beheraj, Arthur Galocha, and Jonah Smith, was built from votes by 50 NFL executives and coaches.
Goff’s placement also lines up with ESPN’s July survey, which had him at No. 9.
This time, Goff shared the No. 8 spot with New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, though Maye was listed ahead of him after picking up one more Tier 1 vote. Goff collected four Tier 1 votes, 39 Tier 2 votes, and seven Tier 3 votes, finishing with an average tier of 2.06. He sits one spot behind Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and one spot ahead of Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
The consistency is hard to miss. Goff has thrown for more than 4,500 yards and more than 30 touchdowns in each of the past three seasons, and the latest ranking keeps him in that familiar range among the NFL’s better veteran passers.
He also remains the highest-ranked quarterback in the NFC North, matching the picture painted by ESPN’s list. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is close behind, tied for 11th with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, while new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray comes in at No. 23 among the 35 quarterbacks ranked.
The reactions from coaches and executives were a mix of respect and skepticism, which fits Goff’s profile. One anonymous defensive coordinator who faced the Lions last season said, "I have newfound respect for (Goff), watching him operate without Ben (Johnson)." That same coach praised the way Goff handled the post-Johnson offense, noting his ability to "tempoing" their team with his "cadence, movement, motion timing."
An offensive coach drew a comparison to former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford:
"He has the tendency, as Stafford did for a long time, where there are small stretches in seasons where he is not even a (Tier) 2. But when he is rolling, he's a (Tier) 1. He can change the game."
Not everyone was quite that bullish. Two defensive coordinators pointed to the help around Goff, with one saying, "It’s just that the pieces around him really help him." Another added, "I was more nervous because of the receivers and the tailback," before still conceding that Goff was "good enough where I go, 'OK, he can throw it.'"
The lone general manager quote echoed that same theme of support structure, while making clear it was not meant as a knock. The GM said Goff had the "infrastructure" around him, adding that they "don’t necessarily mean that negatively." The same GM described him as "Low-end (Tier) 2, high-end (Tier) 3, can win with him and everything like that," while also saying Goff "got a little bit overvalued, getting a little too much credit" for the Lions' successes in 2023 and 2024.
So the verdict is familiar: plenty of respect, some hesitation, and a steady place near the top of the veteran quarterback conversation. For Goff, that’s become its own kind of pattern.
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