In 2021, Goff was traded from the Rams to the Lions. In his third year with Detroit, Goff led the Lions to their first playoff win since 1991 as the team advanced to theNFC Championship Game. He earned Pro Bowl honors again in 2022 and 2024.
Goff attendedMarin Catholic High School inKentfield, California, and graduated in 2013.[6] He played for thefootball team, throwing for 7,687 yards and 93touchdowns with 18interceptions in three varsity seasons at Marin Catholic, completing 477-of-767 passes (62.2%), equal to apasser rating of 125.5, for teams that combined to post a 39–4 overall record and 21–0 Marin County Athletic League mark on their way to an appearance in the state title game, oneNorth Coast Section crown, three NCS playoff appearances, and three MCAL championships.[7]
Goff set 26 Cal records. This included passing yards (12,220), passing yards per game (329.7 ypg), touchdown passes (96), completions (977), passing attempts (1,569), total offense (12,086), and total plays (1,739). He is second only toAaron Rodgers on Cal's all-time list for passing efficiency (143.95).[11][12]
Under new head coachSonny Dykes, Goff started all twelve games in the2013 season, and although the team finished 1–11, he set Cal single-season records for passing yards (3,508), yardage gained (3,508), total offense (3,446), passes completed (320), and passes attempted (530).[13] Goff finished his true freshman season with a 60.3 completion percentage with 18 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.[14][15]
In2014, Goff was again the starting quarterback for the Golden Bears. In a September 27 matchup against theColorado Buffaloes, Goff threw a career-high seven touchdown passes, completing 24 of 42 passes for 458 yards.[16] On October 4, Goff threw for a new career-high and school-record 527 yards and five touchdowns in a 60–59 victory overWashington State.[17] Goff helped lead the Golden Bears to a 5–7 season, a four-win improvement over the 2013 season.[18] He finished the 2014 season with 3,973 yards, 35 touchdowns, and a 62% completion rate, once again setting new school records.[19][20]
In2015, as a junior, Goff led the Bears to a 7–5 regular-season finish, clinching Cal's first winning season since2011.[21] Going into the season, Goff was projected as the top quarterback for the2016 NFL draft byMel Kiper Jr.[22] andTodd McShay.[23] On November 14, 2015, Goff threw for 453 yards and six touchdowns in a 54–24 victory overOregon State, earning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time.[24] Two weeks later, Goff set a new Cal single-game record with 542 passing yards in a 48–46 come-from-behind victory overArizona State, earning Player of the Week honors for a second time.[25] In the2015 Armed Forces Bowl, Goff threw for six touchdown passes and 467 yards, leading the Bears to a 55–36 victory overAir Force.[26]
In 2015, Goff set a new Pac-12 single-season passing-yardage record (4,714), and also set a new conference record for touchdown passes in a season (43).[27][28] He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.[29] He was the first Cal quarterback to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors since Rodgers in 2004 while leading an 8–5 Cal team to a winning record and bowl game for the first time since 2011 as well as a post-season win for the first time since 2008.[11]
During Goff's time as quarterback, the Golden Bears never beat an in-state rival, going 0–9 againstStanford,UCLA, andUSC, and they also went 0–3 against division rivalOregon.[30][31][32][33] Goff's father has been quoted as saying the lack of a marquee win bothered his son.[34] Goff majored insociology during his time at Cal.[35]
After his junior season, Goff announced his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the 2016 NFL draft.[36]
In mid-February 2016, most analysts had Goff projected to be selected in the early first round of the draft, with the second overall pick of theCleveland Browns being his most frequently predicted landing spot, or theSan Francisco 49ers with the seventh overall pick.[40][41][42] Despite not excelling at the physical tests at theNFL Scouting Combine, Goff still improved his draft stock with a strong showing in the positional drills. Goff also reportedly scored a 36 on hisWonderlic exam.[43]
Goff was selectedfirst overall by theLos Angeles Rams in the 2016 NFL draft.[44] The Rams had traded up in the first round and acquired the first pick from theTennessee Titans. Goff was the second Rams quarterback to be taken first overall in six years; the Rams had selectedSam Bradford first overall six years earlier.[45] Goff was the last first round pick made by the Rams untilJared Verse in 2024.
On June 9, 2016, Goff signed a four-year deal worth $27.9 million in guaranteed money,[46] including an $18.6 million signing bonus.[47]
On November 15, Goff was named the Rams' starting quarterback for the game against theMiami Dolphins after spending the first nine games as the backup to veteran quarterbackCase Keenum.[48] Goff started the final seven games of the season. On November 20, 2016, he made his professional debut and first NFL start against the Dolphins and completed 17 of 31 attempts for 134 yards in the 14–10 loss.[49] The following week against theNew Orleans Saints, he threw his first career touchdown on a 24-yard completion to wide receiverTavon Austin in the first quarter and had his first career interception in the third quarter after being picked off by Saints safetyKenny Vaccaro. Goff finished the 49–21 road loss completing 20 of 32 completed passes for 214 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in a 49–21 loss.[50]
During a week-14 42–14 loss to theAtlanta Falcons, Goff completed 24 of 41 passes for 235 yards and two interceptions. He also had his first NFL rushing touchdown on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter.[51]
In his rookie season, Goff made seven starts. The Rams lost each of those games finishing with an overall record of 4–12.[52] Goff completed 112 of 205 passes for 1,089 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 16 rushing yards and a touchdown.[53]
Goff entered the season with a new head coach inSean McVay.[54] In the season-opener against theIndianapolis Colts, Goff achieved his first professional victory while completing 21 of 29 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown.[55] His performance against the Colts marked his first career game with at least 300 passing yards. Two weeks later against the 49ers, Goff completed 22 of 28 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Rams to a narrow 41–39 road victory.[56] During a week-4 35–30 road victory over theDallas Cowboys, Goff completed 21 of 36 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns.[57] In the next game against theSeattle Seahawks, Goff notably struggled, as he had two interceptions, no touchdowns, 288 yards, and a 46.8 completion percentage for a 48.9 passer rating as the Rams lost 10–16.[58] The following week against theJacksonville Jaguars, Goff threw for 124 yards and a touchdown in a 27–17 road victory.[59] During a week-7 33–0 shutout victory over theArizona Cardinals atTwickenham Stadium, he passed for 235 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.[60] Two weeks later against theNew York Giants atMetLife Stadium, Goff threw for 311 yards and four touchdowns as the Rams won by a score of 51–17, earning himNational Football Conference (NFC) Offensive Player of the Week.[61] During week 10 against theHouston Texans, Goff finished with 355 passing yards and three touchdowns as the Rams won 33–7. In the game, he threw a 94-yard touchdown pass toRobert Woods.[62] Two weeks later against the Saints, Goff finished with 354 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Rams won 26–20.[63] In week 14, Goff played against thePhiladelphia Eagles, going up against 2016 second overall pickCarson Wentz. Although he completed 16 of 26 attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns, Gofffumbled the ball in the last minute, resulting in a 43–35 loss.[64] In the next game against the Seahawks, he completed 14 of 21 passes for only 120 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams won on the road by a score of 42–7.[64] The following week against theTennessee Titans, Goff finished with 301 passing yards and four touchdowns in the 27–23 road victory.[65] With the win, the Rams clinched theNFC West for the first time since 2003.[66] As a result, Goff sat out of the regular-season finale against the 49ers.[67] He was named as the PFWA Most Improved Player.[68]
Goff finished his second professional season with 3,804 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 51 rushing yards and a touchdown in 15 games and starts.[69] He led the league in yards per pass completion with 12.9.[70] On January 6, 2018, Goff played in his first playoff game. He completed 24 of 45 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown in a 26–13Wild Card Round loss to the Falcons.[71] On January 22, 2018, he was named to his firstPro Bowl as an injury andSuper Bowl replacement forCarson Wentz.[72] Goff was ranked 38th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[73]
Goff started the 2018 season throwing for 233 yards and two touchdowns in a 33–13 road victory overOakland Raiders in the season opener, followed by back-to-back 354 yard games in wins over Cardinals and the cross-town rivalLos Angeles Chargers.[74][75][76] In the Chargers game, he also had a career best 80.5% completion percentage on 29–36 passing for three touchdowns and one interception.[77] During a week-4 38–31 victory over the against theMinnesota Vikings, Goff completed 26 of 33 passes for a career-high 465 yards and five touchdowns, finishing with a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3. His performance set the record for most passing yards and attempts while maintaining a perfect passer rating, surpassingKen O'Brien's 32 attempts for 431 yards in 1986.[78] Goff was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.[79] Goff was later named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.[80] Against theKansas City Chiefs in week 11, Goff threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns as the Rams defeated the Chiefs 54–51 onMonday Night Football in thethird-highest-scoring NFL game in history.[81] Three weeks later against theChicago Bears, Goff threw for 180 yards, no touchdowns, and a career-high four interceptions as the Rams lost on the road by a score of 15–6.[82] Goff ended the season by throwing for 199 yards and four touchdowns in a 48–32 victory over the 49ers, and finished 2018 with 4,688 yards, the second-highest single-season total in franchise history, and his 32 touchdown passes were the third-highest total among Ram quarterbacks, trailing only Hall of FamerKurt Warner in both categories.[83][84][85] He was selected to his second straight Pro Bowl for his performance in 2018.[86]
The Rams finished the 2018 season atop the NFC West with a 13–3 record and made the playoffs with a first-round bye as the #2 seed.[87] In theDivisional Round against the Cowboys, he finished with 186 passing yards as the Rams won 30–22.[88] In theNFC Championship against the Saints, he threw for 297 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the Rams won on the road in overtime by a score of 26–23.[89] Although the team was aided by acontroversial no-call by the officials, Goff was clutch in several key plays and became the youngest quarterback to win an NFC Championship Game.[90][91][92]
Goff in a joint practice with theOakland Raiders during 2019 training camp
On April 23, 2019, the Rams picked up the fifth-year option on Goff's contract.[95] Five months later, he agreed to a four-year extension worth $134 million featuring $110 million guaranteed, at the time, it was an NFL record for the most guaranteed money in a contract, surpassed byPatrick Mahomes in 2020.[96][97]
Goff helped lead the Rams to a 3–0 start with victories over theCarolina Panthers, Saints, and Browns.[98][99][100] During a week-4 55–40 loss to theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Goff finished with a career-high 517 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.[101] He tied the NFL record for completions in a regular-season game with 45 equallingDrew Bledsoe's week-11 performance against the Vikings in 1994.[102][103] In the next game against the Seahawks, Goff threw for 395 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the narrow 30–29 road loss.[104] The following week against the 49ers, Goff threw for a career-low 78 passing yards in the 20–7 loss.[105] During a week-7 37–10 road victory over the Falcons, he helped stop the Rams' three-game losing streak with 268 passing yards and two touchdowns in the 37–10 victory.[106] In the next game against theCincinnati Bengals in London, Goff threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns in the 24–10 victory.[107] During a week-13 34–7 road victory over the Cardinals, Goff threw for 424 yards and two touchdowns.[108] He won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance.[109] Three weeks later during a 49ers rematch on Saturday Night Football, Goff finished with 323 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Rams narrowly lost on the road by a score of 34–31 and were eliminated from playoff contention.[110] In the regular season finale against the Cardinals, Goff threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns during the 31–24 win.[111] Goff finished the 2019 season with 4,638 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions to go along with 40 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Rams finished with a 9–7 record.[112][113] His 626 pass attempts led the league in the 2019 season.[114] Goff's 394 pass completions set a single season franchise record at the time.[115]
During the season-opener against the Cowboys, the first ever football game to be played atSoFi Stadium, Goff finished with 275 passing yards and an interception as the Rams won 20–17.[116] In the next game against the Eagles, Goff threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns to tight endTyler Higbee during the 37–19 road victory.[117] The following week against theBuffalo Bills, Goff finished with 321 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Rams narrowly lost on the road by a score of 35–32.[118] The Rams overcame a 28–3 deficit to lead 32–28 before giving up the go-ahead score toward the end of the game.[119] During a week-11 27–24 road victory over the Buccaneers, Goff threw for 376 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.[120] Two weeks later against the Cardinals, he had 351 passing yards and a touchdown in a 38–28 road victory.[121] During week 16 against the Seahawks, Goff threw for 234 yards and an interception before leaving the eventual 20–9 road loss with a broken thumb in the third quarter.[122] As a result, he was forced to miss the regular-season finale against the Cardinals.[123][124][125] Goff finished the 2020 season with 3,952 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions to go along with 99 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 15 games and starts.[126]
During theWild Card Round against the Seahawks, Goff was cleared to play but began the game as the backup toJohn Wolford.[127][128] Goff came in the game during the first quarter after Wolford left the game with a neck injury.[129] In the game, Goff completed nine of 19 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown as the Rams won on the road by a score of 30–20.[130][131] In theDivisional Round against theGreen Bay Packers, Goff completed 21 of 27 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown during the 32–18 road loss.[132]
On March 18, 2021, Goff was traded alongside the Rams' first round draft picks in2022 and2023, and a2021 third-round pick to theDetroit Lions in exchange for quarterbackMatthew Stafford.[133][134][135] Goff was informed of the trade by Rams head coach Sean McVay right before it was posted to social media.[136]
Goff made his Lions debut in the season-opener against the 49ers. He finished the game completing 38 of 57 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception returned for a touchdown as the Lions lost 41–33 despite a late rally.[137] During a Week 7 matchup against his former team, the Rams, Goff threw for 268 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions as the Lions lost on the road by a score of 28–19.[138] Three weeks later against thePittsburgh Steelers, Goff suffered anoblique injury, leavingTim Boyle to start the following week.[139] Goff returned for the Lions'Thanksgiving game against the Bears, where he threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the narrow 16–14 loss.[140] In the next game against the Vikings, he threw for 296 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception as the Lions narrowly won 29–27, snapping the Lions' 15–game losing streak.[141] Goff was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.[142] The game also marked Goff's first win without head coachSean McVay, having been a combined 0–16–1 in games with a different head coach.[143] Goff and the Lions went on to win three of their last four games, including the Vikings victory, one against the Cardinals, and a surprising season finale victory over the Packers to finish with a 3–13–1 record.[144][145]
Goff finished his first season with the Lions with 3,245 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions to go along with 87 rushing yards in 14 games and starts, missing three games due to an injury and being on theCOVID-19 reserve list.[146][147]
Goff in 2022Goff handing the ball off toD'Andre Swift
In the season-opener against the Eagles, Goff threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, but threw an interception returned for a touchdown as the Lions lost by a score of 38–35.[148] In the next game against theWashington Commanders, he threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns in a 36–27 victory.[149] In the Week 2 game against the Commanders, Goff produced his sixth straight home game with two or more passing touchdowns, establishing a Lions franchise record.[150] Two weeks later, Goff again threw four touchdown passes, and this time added a tenure-high 378 passing yards during a 48–45 loss to the Seahawks.[151] Goff finished the 2022 season with the Lions with 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, starting in all 17 games.[152][153] He was named to his third Pro Bowl as an alternative, replacing theSuper Bowl-boundJalen Hurts.[154] Goff was the first Lions quarterback to receive a Pro Bowl selection since Stafford in 2014.[155] He was ranked 66th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[156]
2023 season: Breaking the Lions' playoff victory drought
In theNFL Kickoff Game against theKansas City Chiefs, Goff completed 22-of-35 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown in a narrow 21–20 upset victory.[157] The win also improved his record againstPatrick Mahomes to 2–0.[158] The following week against theSeattle Seahawks, Goff completed 80% of his passes (28-of-35) for 323 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception returned for a touchdown as the Lions lost in overtime, 37–31.[159] On the road against the Packers in Week 4, Goff passed for 201 yards with a touchdown and interception as the Lions won 34–20, improving Goff's record to 5–1 in his career against the Packers.[160] In Week 6, Goff completed 30-of-44 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns in a 20–6 win over the Buccaneers, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[161] Goff and the Lions saw their four-game winning streak come to an end in a 38–6 loss to theBaltimore Ravens, but they rebounded against theLas Vegas Raiders, with Goff throwing for 272 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in a 26–14 victory heading into the bye week.[162][163]
Following their bye week, Goff led the Lions to a 41–38 victory over theLos Angeles Chargers in Week 10. He finished with 333 yards, and two touchdowns, and orchestrated a nine-play, 53-yard drive, culminating in a game-winning 41-yard field goal.[164] The following week against the Bears, Goff threw three interceptions and trailed by 12 with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, Goff rallied the Lions to 17 straight points to win 31–26. The win put the Lions at 8–2 for the first time since1962.[165] After committing three turnovers and losing to the Bears 28–13 in Week 14, Goff rebounded the following week, throwing for 278 yards and tying a career-high five touchdown passes in a 42–17 rout over theDenver Broncos.[166] In Week 16, Goff converted 30-of-40 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown in a 30–24 win against the Vikings, clinching the Lions' first division title since1993 and first since the NFC Central was renamed NFC North.[167] In the regular season finale against the Vikings, Goff threw for 320 yards with two touchdowns, marking his fifth 300-yard game of the season as the Lions won 30–20.[168]
In theWild Card Round against his former team, the Rams, Goff led the Lions to a narrow 24–23 victory to secure their first playoff victory since1991. Goff became one of five quarterbacks in NFL postseason history to produce a game with 275+ passing yards, a completion percentage of 80.0%+ and a passer rating of 120.0+.[169] In theDivisional Round against the Buccaneers, Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards and directed touchdown drives on three consecutive possessions in the second half en route to a 31–23 victory, moving the Lions one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.[170] Against the 49ers in theNFC Championship Game, Goff and the Lions jumped out to a 24–7 lead at halftime. However, two key fourth-down incompletions swung the momentum to the 49ers, who scored 27 straight points as the Lions lost on the road, 34–31. Goff completed 25-for-41 passes for 273 yards, a touchdown, and zero turnovers.[171] He was ranked 48th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2024.[156]
2024 season: First seed and playoff disappointment
Goff with members of the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard in 2024
On May 16, 2024, Goff signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension, with $170 million guaranteed, keeping him under contract with the Lions through the 2027 season, with an option for 2028.[172]
Goff opened the season on September 8 with a 26–20 overtime victory over the Rams, a rematch of the previous year's Wild Card game.[173] After a two-interception loss to the Buccaneers in Week 2, Goff bounced back with a 20–13 victory over the Cardinals, completing his first 14 passes and throwing two touchdowns.[174] On September 30, in Week 4 against theSeattle Seahawks, Goff went 18-for-18 for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and also caught a touchdown pass, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to complete all his passes with at least 11 attempts.[175][1] Following a bye, Goff led the Lions to a 47–9 road victory over the Cowboys, passing for 315 yards, three touchdowns and becoming the second quarterback to finish with a passer rating of 150+ in consecutive starts, joiningDrew Brees in 2018.[176] Goff then helped the Lions defeat the undefeated Vikings in Week 7, throwing for 280 yards and two touchdowns, and threw three touchdowns in a dominant 52–14 victory over theTennessee Titans in Week 8.[177][178] Goff finished October with an 80% completion rate, 680 yards, eight touchdowns, and a 149.8 passer rating, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors and becoming the first Lions quarterback to win the award.[179]
In Week 10 against theHouston Texans, Goff threw a career-high five interceptions but overcame his miscues to lead the Lions to a 26–23 road victory, becoming the first quarterback since 2012 to win with five or more interceptions in a game.[180] He rebounded the following week against theJacksonville Jaguars, directing the offense to a franchise record 644 yards and finishing the game with 412 yards and four touchdowns, earning his second career perfect passer rating as the Lions won 52–6.[181][182] OnThanksgiving, Goff threw two touchdowns in a 23–20 over the Bears, ending the Lions' Thanksgiving losing streak since 2016.[183] After defeating the Packers, Goff and the Lions' 11-game winning streak ended with a 48–42 loss to theBuffalo Bills, despite Goff throwing for 494 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions, the first player to achieve those marks in a loss.[184] After 300-yard, three touchdown performances against the Bears and 49ers, Goff concluded the season with a 31–9 victory over the Vikings in Week 18, clinching the NFC's top seed, back-to-back division titles, and a franchise-best 15–2 record.[185]
Goff finished the regular season with 4,629 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, a passer rating of 111.8, and a completion percentage of 72.4%. His touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentages were all career highs.[186][187] He finished second overall in passing yards, passer rating, completion percentage, and fourth in touchdown passes.[188] Goff had repeatedly heard his name chanted at games on the road as fans "take over" stadiums throughout the season.[189] The "Ja-red-Goff" chant has also been heard at other sports events and venues all over Michigan, and on a smaller level in the broader United States.[190] Despite their historic regular season, Goff and the Lions were upset at home in the Divisional Round against theWashington Commanders, with Goff accounting for four of the Lions' five turnovers, including a pick-six, in a 45–31 loss.[191] He was ranked 15th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2025.[156]
In Week 2, Goff completed 23 of 28 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns in a 52–21 win over the Chicago Bears, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[192]
Most pass attempts with a perfect passer rating: 33 (tied with Deshaun Watson)[202][203]
Most pass attempts without an incompletion in a game: 18[204][205]
First quarterback in NFL history to complete 100% of his passes in a game on more than 10 pass attempts (September 30, 2024, against the Seattle Seahawks)[204]
Goff has anenzyme deficiency that does not allow his body to break down proteins. Among other difficulties, it creates an inability to process red meat.[214]
In the summer of 2019, Goff launched his own line of clothing called "JG16".[215] In March 2020, Goff donated $250,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank during thecoronavirus pandemic.[216] Partnering with his clothing line "JG16" and Merit, Goff founded the Detroit Foundation, which donates profits to funding university scholarships.[217]
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