A new Bleacher Report article is proposing a massive shakeup for the Detroit Lions. The wild trade scenario places quarterback Jared Goff on the move, despite his recent success and a massive contract extension.

BR's Brad Gagnon talked about how good the Lions QB has been in the playoffs, citing his postseason passer rating of 85.1, and then suggested a possible trade.

"It's possible we've seen the best of Goff, and that he'll never be the guy to take this franchise to the next level. If there's any chance the front office is having that realization, it could be tempted to free up nearly $26 million in cap space while loading up on draft resources via a surprising offseason trade," he explained.

And what would Lions get in return? That depends because the No. 2 pick and a Day 2 selection are with the New York Jets. The Pittsburgh Steelers get first and second-round picks, while the Las Vegas Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick in 2026.

Or they can do a one-for-one swap with the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, or Baltimore Ravens. Now it is true that Jared Goff is 31 years old, and the future of the franchise lies elsewhere. Also, Goff signed a 4-year extension with the Detroit Lions worth $212 million.

What this means is that for the 2026 season, he also has a cap hit of $69,600,000, which is the fourth highest of the season. That number is made up mostly of a $55 million base salary plus about $14.6 million in signing-bonus proration.

If the Lions trade him before the 2026 season, the new team takes on the $55 million base salary, so that part comes off Detroit’s books. However, they can also restructure his contract and choose keep him, because replacing Jared Goff isn't that easy.

Patrick Mahomes is counted amongst the greatest quarterbacks of all time. But who has more passing yards than him since his debut in 2017? Goff takes the throne with 38,533 yards, while Mahomes is at number 2 with 35,939.

Other Teams Don't Have Much to Offer for Jared Goff

Gagnon wrote about why this won't happen. "Nobody is likely to give up a proven winner for Goff, which could leave the Lions in a similar quandary with someone like Jackson, Murray, or Tagovailoa. And if they save all that dough and go with an unproven guy, it's a crapshoot," he said.

He has the most career rushing yards by a quarterback, with 6,522 yards. Plus, there are the 22,608 throwing yards, which is decent. Even a proven winner like Lamar Jackson, mentioned in the report, presents his own financial and injury-risk challenge

Plus, he picked up injuries in the 2025 season, and the performance was not great either. Then there's also the Las Vegas Raiders with the number 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Sure, the Detroit Lions can get Fernando Mendoza with it, but he has yet to prove himself in the NFL.

Ultimately, taking an unproven player could be a significant gamble. So tell us what you think in the comments.

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Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi