Things are looking pretty positive for quarterback Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. He just wishes that the media that cover the team felt the same way.
The Lions are coming off their best season in decades, winning the NFC North with a 12-5 regular season record, winning their first (and second) playoff game since 1992, and coming thisclose to victory in the NFC Championship Game. All signs point to Detroit finding similar success in 2024 when the Lions will be a trendy pick to make it to the Super Bowl, which would be their first in franchise history.
Goff, who came over from the Rams in a trade for Matthew Stafford, is heading into his fourth season with the Lions and has been a huge part of their growth from perennial cellar-dweller to Super Bowl contender. He’s seen how much Lions fans have gotten on board with the franchise, but he seems to feel like the local media isn’t keeping pace.
During an appearance on Willbo’s Trading Cards podcast, hosted by Goff’s former Cal teammate Robbie McInerny and Will McInerny, the QB shared his frustrations over his perception that Lions media “relish in negativity at times.”
Specifically, he responded to a question about a viral reaction to a reporter noting the caliber of players on the San Francisco 49ers versus the Lions.
“I have this like, and I need to drop it soon here because I’m gonna hopefully be in Detroit for a long time,” Goff said. “But I have this thing with our local media where they almost relish in negativity at times. And maybe that’s what get clicks and that’s what sells. But it’s no longer what they need to live in. Hey guys, we have a good team, we’ve had success. We can be happy about that, we can celebrate that and not have to write about how we’re constantly the underdog. No, teams are gonna be gunning for us now, we’ve won the division. I’m probably overthinking it in my head just because it’s the chip on my shoulder and the competitor in me, but in that moment I was just giving that guy a hard time. I actually like him.”
We don’t know what other media members Goff was referring to, so it’s hard to tell if he’s tapping into something legitimate or just bitter about things he’s heard or read over the years regarding the Lions. Given the pressure and harsh headlines he’s played under during his NFL career, it’s not surprising to see that he doesn’t think the media give him or his team a fair shake. However, impartial audiences can certainly look back on the 2023 NFL season and see a lot of positivity coming out of the Detroit Lions media over the stellar season.
He’s also not the only member of the Detroit Lions to take the local media to task over their comments.
As Goff says, it’s “probably overthinking it in my head just because it’s the chip on my shoulder and the competitor in me.” But if that’s what motivates him to get the Lions to the next level, we doubt very many people watching or covering the team will mind.
Also, a special shoutout to Goff’s dog, Quincy, for stealing the show. He’s all grown up.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.