While there's still a ways to go, we're slowly but surely seeing the opinion of Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff changing a bit among the national media. We've come so far that we even have someone considering him an MVP candidate.
That person is NFL Network Senior National Columnist Judy Battista, who listed Goff among her dark-horse candidates for Most Valuable Player in 2024. Battista even says that Goff has "ascended into the top level of quarterbacks."
And she would be right. In the last two years, Goff ranks second in passing yards, third in passing touchdowns, 10th in completion rate and third in yards per game. Adding to that, he has one Pro Bowl nod in that span.
Here's everything Battista had to say about Goff being a possible candidate for MVP:
The Lions broke through in 2023, winning the NFC North and getting thisclose to winning the NFC Championship Game and going to the Super Bowl, in large part because Goff has ascended into the top level of quarterbacks. He had the best completion percentage of his career (67.3) and threw 30 touchdown passes to just 12 interceptions. What gives Goff, who just signed a four-year, $212 million extension, a real chance to sneak into the MVP race, though, is what didn’t happen this offseason: His offensive coordinator did not leave. Ben Johnson was the hottest of hot head-coaching candidates, but he decided to stick around for another year, giving the Lions and Goff rare continuity for a top-five offense -- teams in that stratosphere usually watch play-callers go through the revolving door on their way to the top job. With receiver Jameson Williams poised to make a big leap after an offseason free of injury recovery or gambling suspension, and with Amon-Ra St. Brown locked in with a new contract, Goff could finally put himself in the conversation as among the game’s very best.
While there are still plenty of people out there who would scoff at the idea of Goff winning MVP, it is very much in the realm of possibility, partly because he's set to be on one of the best teams in the NFL this season.
But big production is part of the equation, also, and Goff is capable of that on one of the best offenses in the NFL.
The Lions signal-caller is no stranger to putting up MVP-caliber yardage, as he's thrown for 4,500 yards or more three times during his career, including two years over 4,600 yards. He's also tallied 30 or more touchdowns twice, although he'll likely need more than the career-high 32 he threw in 2018 to seal the deal.
The bottom line: if Goff can just step his game up slightly in 2024 and the Lions deliver on the type of regular season everyone expects, he'll very much be in the conversation for the league's highest honor.
