While Jared Goff continues producing at a high level for the Detroit Lions, the veteran quarterback is once again gaining traction with his footwork.

While speaking on the Ross Tucker Podcast, ESPN analyst Greg Cosell compared Jared Goff’s footwork to that of the Los Angeles Rams’ rookie QB, Ty Simpson. He believes Simpson is better than Goff.

“Simpson gives you that as well, plus Simpson can make plays with his legs, so it's not really, it's not as if he's going back to what Goff was,” said Greg Cosell.

Per Pro Football Reference, Goff recorded a 30.6% bad-throw percentage in high-pressure games last year. In his entire season, he totaled 45 yards and 19 carries.

When forced out of his preferred environment, Goff gets exposed to a mechanical cliff. 

His 51-point drop in passer rating in 2023 when moving from a clean pocket to a pressured one highlights a dependency on traditional footwork that many mobile peers lack.

Compared to Goff's 45 rushing yards last year and no rushing touchdowns, Simpson's 93 rushing yards with two scores could be a sign of things to come.

Back in April 2026, another ESPN analyst, Jeremy Fowler, spoke to one of the NFL Scouts who called Simpson "a mix between Jared Goff and Mac Jones."

In 2025, in his first year as a starter, Simpson recorded the lowest career interception percentage at 0.96% by throwing only five interceptions across 523 attempts, per Sports Reference.

While the Ty Simpson comparison reignited criticism around Goff’s mobility, not everyone around the league agrees the Lions quarterback deserves that narrative.

Jared Goff Carries Detroit’s Super Bowl Expectations Into 2026

After narrowly missing the 2025 NFL playoffs despite finishing with a winning record, the expectations for the Lions' star QB are higher.

"Read my lips. Jared Goff is plenty good enough to win a Super Bowl here," Marc Ryan said with John Maakaron this week. "You know, I went back to the start of 2000,"

Goff enters his sixth season leading the Lions squad. Despite the lingering criticisms of his limited pocket mobility, he is expected to again deliver the same production as in 2025.

"Things don't have to be perfect around him," Ryan added. "Things were pretty freaking far from perfect last year, and he played some of his most efficient football."

In the previous sessions as well, Goff showed consistency with 4,000+ yards and 29 or more touchdowns in each season since 2022, not missing a single game.

For Detroit, the expectation remains simple: Goff must once again keep the Lions firmly inside the NFC contender conversation.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote