Lions GM Says Jared Goff Being Called 'Bridge QB' After Trade Was 'Lazy Narrative'

To Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, veteran signal-caller Jared Goff is more than just a bridge quarterback.

Speaking Wednesday on The Insiders on NFL+ (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook), Holmes praised Goff for how he has performed since the Lions acquired him in the Matthew Stafford trade with the Los Angeles Rams ahead of the 2021 campaign, characterizing him as more than just a stopgap starter.

"Very, very proud of Jared. Again, like you said, I never thought of him of just a bridge or stop-gap or whatever just because I was all around the success he had early in his career in L.A. (with the Rams). It seems like when he got here (Detroit) when the trade was made that all that success was forgotten about. It was just this narrative that he was just a bridge. I always thought that was a lazy narrative. ... Just because of, I guess, the narrative of how the trade went down and all of that."

"In '21, he was in a very difficult situation. We didn't have a lot of talent around him, we didn't have much money to spend in free agency, we had a lot of injuries. I mean we had to make a midseason OC (offensive coordinator) change. It was a lot. So, then everybody just hogged on to the narrative of the trade. Then what he had to go through in '21. It was like 'he can't be the quarterback' but no, we just kept our belief in him, and I think (coach) Dan (Campbell) and (OC) Ben (Johnson) have done an outstanding job of giving him ownership. His confidence is sky high. He's playing at a high level right now."

Goff's first season in Detroit in 2021 was underwhelming, but he has really come into his own in the Lions offense over the last two seasons and is now on pace for his best year with the franchise.

Through five games this season, Goff has completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 1,265 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions. The Lions are 4-1 and are primed to win the NFC North for the first time since 1993.

That said, Goff has much a much more dynamic offense now than when he first joined the Lions. The likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are among the assets available to the signal-caller this year.

Goff is under contract through the 2024 season, but it certainly seems like the Lions would be open to extending the 28-year-old's deal. If he continues to excel, there's no reason why Detroit would want to move on for someone unproven, such as a rookie.