A viral Facebook post had Detroit Lions fans doing a double take this week, claiming quarterback Jared Goff turned down a jaw-dropping $270 million offer from billionaire Elon Musk at a charity gala. According to the post, Goff supposedly told Musk to “keep it and spend it on something that actually helps people.”
Sounds dramatic, right? The only problem—it’s completely made up.
The rumor started on a Facebook page called “Detroit Gridiron Heroes” and quickly spread, racking up thousands of shares and reactions. The post linked to a site known for publishing fake sports stories, and while it was full of juicy “quotes” and dramatic flair, none of it actually happened.
Snopes did the digging and confirmed what most people probably suspected: there’s no record of such a charity event, no legitimate news outlet covered it, and neither Goff nor Musk ever commented on such a moment. In fact, the supposed quote from Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) account doesn’t exist either.
This tall tale has been floating around for a while in different forms. Earlier versions claimed Goff turned down $10 million, then $50 million—and now, magically, it ballooned to $270 million. But the facts haven’t changed: the story’s fake.
The real Jared Goff is focused on preparing for the upcoming 2025 NFL season under new offensive coordinator John Morton—not swatting away fantasy-money offers at red carpet galas.
So next time you see a wild headline involving your favorite QB and a tech billionaire, it’s worth checking the facts before hitting that share button.
Snopes Debunks Viral Claim That Jared Goff Turned Down $270M from Elon Musk
