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Well, here we go again—Jared Goff delivers another monster season, helps Detroit dominate the NFC North, and still finds himself getting the cold shoulder in Pro Football Focus’ latest quarterback rankings. While Lions fans are still riding the high from a 15-2 season, PFF’s 2025 list managed to stir up some chatter with one key omission: Jared Goff didn’t crack the “High-end starter” tier.
Instead? He landed in the next group down—“Solid starters who have flashed high-end play”—and just barely at that, coming in at No. 9.
Goff’s Numbers Speak Louder
Let’s just take a second to remember the season Goff just had. He threw for 4,629 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only 12 interceptions, ranking second in the entire NFL in passing yards. He earned himself a trip to the Pro Bowl and piloted one of the league’s most productive offenses for the second year in a row.
Even PFF had to acknowledge the guy’s success, writing: “Goff has piloted one of the NFL’s most productive offenses over the past two seasons, earning an 84.8 passing grade over that span, the seventh-best in the league.”
So why not call him “high-end”? That’s where things get murky.
Is Ben Johnson the X-Factor?
A big reason PFF seems to be hedging their bets is the departure of Ben Johnson, the Lions’ former offensive coordinator and Goff’s key partner in crime. Johnson left to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears, and suddenly everyone’s wondering if Goff’s success was system-based.
“We’ll soon find out how much of that success was tied to Ben Johnson,” PFF added.
But come on—Goff’s been to a Super Bowl before and isn’t exactly new to this whole quarterbacking thing. The man has shown poise, vision, and leadership every step of the way.
New Coordinator, Same Weapons
This year, Goff will be working with John Morton, who returns to Detroit after a stint with the Broncos. Luckily, he’s not walking in cold. Morton was in the quarterback room back in 2022 and already has a sense of what Goff likes—and what he doesn’t.
“It all starts with the quarterback,” Morton told NFL.com. “Just kind of knowing him… I have a feel of what he likes, what he doesn’t. That’s important as a play-caller.”
That familiarity could go a long way, especially since Goff still has Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery at his disposal.
The core is intact. The chemistry is alive. And if Morton can build on what Johnson left behind, Goff might just take things to the next level—PFF rankings be damned.
What’s Next?
The Lions kick off the season on September 7 against the Packers, and they’ll do so with high expectations and a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
Goff isn’t just playing to prove himself to PFF—he’s playing to take Detroit even further in the playoffs after last season’s bitter divisional-round exit.
And if he keeps putting up top-tier numbers, maybe—just maybe—he’ll finally get that “high-end starter” label.
But honestly? Lions fans already know what they’ve got.
And they’re just fine watching Jared Goff prove the rest of the league wrong—one touchdown at a time.