Every offseason produces its fair share of bad trade ideas.
But every once in a while, one comes along that makes you stop, blink, and wonder if the keyboard was involved in a late-night decision it shouldn’t have been part of.
That’s exactly where a recent Bleacher Report trade proposal involving Jared Goff lands, squarely in the “what on earth were they thinking?” category.
The Proposal That Ignores Reality
The idea suggests the Detroit Lions trade Jared Goff to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, allowing Detroit to “reset” at quarterback.
Reset… from what, exactly?
This is the same quarterback who:
- Led Detroit to its most successful stretch in decades
- Took the Lions within one win of the Super Bowl
- Followed that up with a 15–2 season
- Was rewarded with a four-year, $212 million extension
Franchises do not hand out $212 million contracts to quarterbacks they’re secretly planning to dump a year later. That’s not how the NFL works — not even a little.
The “Cap Space” Argument Falls Apart Instantly
The proposal leans heavily on the idea that Detroit could free up roughly $26 million in cap space by moving on from Goff.
Here’s the problem: cap space is useless if you don’t already have a quarterback.
And the Lions very clearly do.
In 2025, Goff:
- Threw for 4,564 yards (2nd in the NFL)
- Tossed 34 touchdowns (2nd in the NFL)
- Finished top three in passer rating
Those are not “move on” numbers. Those are “build around” numbers.
Trading a top-five quarterback — while actively trying to win a Super Bowl — would be front-office malpractice.
The “Wrong Direction” Narrative Is Fiction
Another pillar of this proposal is the claim that Detroit is “headed in the wrong direction” after missing the playoffs in 2025.
That argument conveniently ignores context.
The Lions didn’t miss the postseason because of Jared Goff. Injuries, defensive inconsistency, and late-game breakdowns played far larger roles. And how did Detroit respond?
By hiring Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator — a move specifically designed to maximize Goff, not replace him.
You don’t revamp an offense around a quarterback you’re preparing to trade.
There Is Zero Chance This Happens
Let’s be very clear:
- The Lions are not trading Jared Goff
- They are not drafting his replacement at No. 1
- They are not resetting the most important position in football
Detroit is firmly in a win-now window, and Goff is the engine that drives it. He’s trusted by the coaching staff, backed by ownership, and locked into a long-term deal for a reason.
This proposal isn’t bold.
It isn’t creative.
It’s simply disconnected from reality.
Sometimes trade ideas are fun thought experiments. This one is just noise — and possibly the most ignorant Lions trade proposal we’ve seen in years.
