Why Jared Goff has ‘a lot more’ pride in second contract extension

Five years ago, quarterback Jared Goff signed a four-year, $134 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams. It was a massive accomplishment for Goff, having seen his career blossom alongside Sean McVay to the point where the Rams made the Super Bowl months prior to the extension.

Now, Goff is in a similar situation, but in a new place. Having just taken the Detroit Lions to the verge of their first Super Bowl, the veteran quarterback inked a four-year, $212 milion contract with a record-setting $73 million signing bonus.

But this time around, it’s much different with Goff. He takes a lot more pride in what he has accomplished over the past three years than what he did in Los Angeles for the first three.

“Absolutely. A lot more,” Goff said in a press conference Thursday. “Doing it in a place like this, where the fans are so passionate and care so much, and how honored I am to be their quarterback and be their leader. And to play for Dan (Campbell) and play for (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson), (QB coach Mark) Brunell, and all the other coaches, and play with these teammates, it is really special. It’s something I’ll remember forever.”

Goff has had a higher mountain to climb this time around. While the Rams certainly started at the bottom of the league when he took over (remember, he went 0-7 his rookie season under Jeff Fisher), his journey from Los Angeles castoff to having his name chanted at Ford Field in the Divisional Round of the playoffs (and literally everywhere else around the state) is not one many quarterbacks have ever made before.

And while signing this contract is a culmination and reward for Goff’s perseverance and hard work over the past three years, he’s not viewing this as the end of an inspirational story—but rather the beginning.

“Yeah, it’s a good chapter closing of the last three years if you want to say, but now I’m more driven and more fired up than ever to go even harder and put the pedal to the metal even more to bring a Super Bowl to this city,” Goff said. “And that’s what’s most important. One day, I won’t be the quarterback here, and (I want to be) able to look back on those days that I am and that I was with no regrets and knowing that I did everything I could to try and make that happen.”

It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to deduce that Goff credits a much more supportive coaching staff to his recent success. But Detroit has also offered something else the Rams didn’t: stability. In Goff’s three seasons in Detroit—going on his fourth this year—he’s had the same head coach and quarterbacks coach while miraculously holding onto offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for going on three years. When an offense is as hot as Detroit’s has been for the last two seasons, that continuity is nearly unheard of in the NFL.

“It’s very rare, it really is,” Goff said. “It’s a good point. Even having the head coach, the OC and the quarterback coach, for me, for three years, that’s so rare. In L.A., it was every year we seemed to have a new quarterback coach. Here, we’ve had the same guy for three years, and like you mentioned, the players being the same. It’s very rare and I think it does compound itself and show in the way we’re able to play together, work together and know each other.”

Goff grew up in California and after going to Cal in college and being drafted by Los Angeles, it seemed like destiny that he’d remain a west coaster for his entire professional career. But a little midwestern love changed the course of his life forever.

“The reward, the contract, and the success we’ve been able to have has been awesome, but the journey itself these past three years has been the true success—the true meaning of success, I guess,” Goff said. “Obviously the wins and whatnot and getting the contract are amazing. But being able to go through that together with my teammates and my family, and go through the dark times and grow through those times and learn more about yourself and work on yourself, that’s the win in all this. I’m happy to be able to stand in front of you and be your quarterback for a lot longer. But this city has meant a lot to me.”