The Detroit Lions open their season this week in Green Bay, and quarterback Jared Goff met with the media to discuss everything from the Micah Parsons trade to his evolving role in the offense.
Reaction to the Micah Parsons Trade
The Lions will see a new face in their division after Dallas dealt star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers. Goff admitted he wasn’t surprised by the move.
“There were some rumors going on, so I wasn’t really surprised when it happened,” Goff said. “He’s a great player and adds to an already competitive division.”
Embracing More Responsibility in Year 10
Now entering his 10th season, Goff feels the staff has placed more on his shoulders, something he welcomes.
“I really try to see how much I can handle every week,” Goff said. “I try to ask for more… and it’s kind of their job to govern that and ultimately we’ve done a good job over the past handful of years in doing that. Then this year it’s kind of ramped up a little bit which is great, and I’ve owned it.”
“I’m in my 10th year and I feel like there’s certain things I can help with and Johnny’s been awesome listening and… giving me feedback when he disagrees with something that I think and I think that’s important.”
-Jared Goff via Detroit Lions
Early Season Expectations
Despite a strong camp, Goff knows Week 1 is often about feeling things out.
“Every year is different and you don’t know who your team’s going to be, what your offense is going to be really yet until… week three, week four,” Goff said.
“Hopefully we come out of the gates firing all cylinders, but in reality that’s that’s kind of hard to do right away… We want to catch up to speed as quickly as we can.”
-Jared Goff via Detroit Lions
Division Rivalry & Playing at Lambeau
With the Lions heading to Lambeau Field for a divisional showdown, Goff emphasized the stakes.
“In a division game on the road, I’ve always said these ones feel like they count for two wins,” he explained. “Whenever you’re able to go out into somebody else’s place and get a W it’s important and that’s what we want to try to do.”
“These guys are a good team and we’re a good team and it’ll be fun.”
-Jared Goff via Detroit Lions
He also admitted he enjoys the challenge of Lambeau’s historic setting, stating: “Going on my fifth year and yeah, love playing there. It’s such a historic venue and being able to kind of soak in that history a little bit and be there and enjoy it.”
Betting Odds & Continuity
After the Parsons trade, Vegas moved the Packers up the NFC odds. Goff shrugged it off.
“Vegas has been wrong before right?… We’re all zero and zero so we will see,” he said.
Goff emphasized the importance of continuity.
“I do think it’s important. I really do… It’s important for the locker room and to have the same guys coming back; to have the same leaders in the room, we just had captains it’s all the same guys and I think that’s important. They’ve done a good job of of keeping our roster together.”
-Jared Goff via Detroit Lions
Chemistry With Receivers
Losing veteran Tim Patrick hurt, but he credited Isaac TeSlaa for stepping up. “Obviously losing Tim is tough and it’s not something ever you want to see as a quarterback, especially a guy you like and has been reliable. But I thought Isaac’s done a good job stepping in there and being a good player.”
Final Thoughts
The Lions will get their first real test at Lambeau, and Jared Goff’s steadiness will be at the heart of it. Detroit knows this season will be a grind, but continuity, chemistry, and leadership from their quarterback give them a clear shot to set the tone early.
Watch the full press conference below:
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