Jared Goff Needs to 'Step Up More Than He Has,' Lions HC Dan Campbell Says

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was blunt in his assessment of starting quarterback Jared Goff following Sunday's 34-11 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"It's time to step up more than he has," Campbell told reporters.

He went on to say the offense's issues aren't solely down to Goff:

Goff went 28-of-42 for 202 yards and one interception, continuing what has been a disappointing start to his time in the Motor City.

Through his first five starts, he had thrown for 1,303 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. His 6.7 adjusted yards per attempt were also a significant step down to the 8.5 yards he averaged during his best years with the Los Angeles Rams, per Pro Football Reference.

Things have gotten so bad that Lions fans are already booing Goff and Campbell is having to talk about whether he considered benching the 27-year-old.

Acquiring Goff was a defensible move for the Lions. Matthew Stafford wanted out, and the franchise was embarking on the kind of rebuild that meant a losing season almost certainly lay ahead regardless of who started at quarterback.

If Goff, who had an obvious chip on his shoulder, played well, then he could either be the long-term solution under center or a valuable trade chip next offseason.

However, his performance continues trending in the wrong direction, and Detroit's experiment is shaping up to be a bit of a bust.

Moving on from Goff after this season may prove difficult. His trade value is deteriorating further, and an outright release is financially consequential.

Letting him go before June 1 would carry a dead salary cap hit of $30.5 million against $650,000 in savings, per Spotrac. Waiting until after June 1 would save $10.7 million in 2022 but still mean $20.5 million in dead money next year and another $10 million hit in 2023.

Whether Goff is still around this time next fall or not, it looks more and more like the Lions will have another quarterback leading the offense.