Lions QB Jared Goff ‘probable’ to play vs. Packers in season finale

Detroit Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff has missed the past two weeks, first due to COVID-19 then last week due to a lingering knee injury. However, according to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Goff is likely to return for the team’s season finale against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday.

“I’d say it’s probable,” Campbell said in his Friday press conference. “He got back in a rhythm Wednesday. I thought yesterday he looked even better, and we expect him to continue to improve today. So I think we’ll see Goff this weekend.”

The knee injury Goff has been dealing with is the result of a hit he took in Week 15 against the Cardinals. Though he would quickly return to the game after missing just a snap, the “bone bruise,” as Goff described it, continued to hamper his ability to move and feel comfortable out there. However, the Lions quarterback said he was feeling more comfortable this week.

“It’s progressing,” Goff said on Wednesday. “Again, like I said, I hope to play. We’ll see how the week goes, but I don’t know is the answer until probably later in the week.”

Before missing the previous two games, Goff was in the midst of his best stretch with the Lions' offense. In his past four starts, he has completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 6.9 yards per attempt, nine touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 105.1. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Lions were also 2-2 over that span.

Goff admitted earlier this week it was frustrating to leave the lineup just as the team was starting to get going on offense.

“Was playing pretty well and our offense was really starting to get some momentum going and that’s really the bummer,” Goff said. “Hopefully, we can recapture it this week if I’m able to go and get a little bit going.”

While Goff’s status appears to be trending in the right direction, the availability of Detroit’s three players who were placed on reserve/COVID-19—Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, and Austin Bryant—is still unknown. They are eligible to come back on Saturday, as long as the symptoms are gone or improving. But Campbell noted that they are still asymptomatic as of Friday morning.

“It’ll be about the symptoms, man. How are they? We’ve been checking on them every day and they all have symptoms, and so we’ll just have to see how they’ll feel tomorrow.”