Survey: Is Jared Goff the Lions quarterback of the future?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate.

This week, we will have two questions in our Reacts poll.

1. Our weekly: Are you confident the Lions are headed in the right direction?
2. And another reoccurring question that we will ask after Weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16: Is Jared Goff the Lions quarterback of the future?

In our confidence poll, we have seen the results shift from 95 to 99 percent, then drop to 88 percent after the loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Are they headed for another fall after a bad loss to the Seattle Seahawks, or are the remaining 88 percent holding patient and waiting to see how things play out?

Our second question is sure to spark some debate, as Goff is playing at a very high level, and he has led the Lions offense to produce more points (140) than any other team in the NFL through four weeks—though there are limitations to his game.

Let’s take a look at some of Goff’s 2022 stats that place in the top 10 through four weeks:

• 11 touchdown passes lead the NFL—tied with Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes
• His 81-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson in Week 4 is the longest pass in the NFL
• 1126 Passing yards, 3rd most in NFL
• 7.5 yards per pass attempt is good for 10th
• 8.0 adjusted yards per pass attempt is 6th
• 12.2 yards per completion is 8th
• 1.1 air yards to the sticks (how far he is throwing past the first down marker) is 3rd
• 99.9 quarterback rating, currently 7th
• ESPN’s QBR is 67.1, which is 8th overall
• 3.2% sack rate—how often he is sacked per pass attempt—ranks 2nd

Additionally, Goff is still just 28 years old (or will be in just over a week), and is under contract through 2024 on a fairly team-friendly deal. His contract has cap hits of $30 million over the next two seasons, which only includes $10 million in guaranteed money. That puts him just outside the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league in 2023.

While there is a lot of positive hype surrounding Goff right now, he also has some limitations which could give the team pause in considering him as their long-term option at the position.

One of the glaring concerns is consistency over a long period of time. Yes, Goff has been rolling these four weeks—and realistically his last four games of 2021—but there is a two-and-a-half-year history of struggle that preceded this current success. Can he maintain this level of play? Can he elevate his game even higher?

Also potentially working against Goff is that there is also the appeal of hand-picking a rookie quarterback that the team can have under contract—at a very low cost, comparatively—for the next five seasons.

These points—and plenty more—will be debated by Lions fans over the next six months, but for now, let’s vote and get a baseline of where fans stand with regards to the questions below: