Last season, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff secured 4,564 passing yards, ranking second in the league behind Matthew Stafford. Now, the two are interlinked again in a parallel scenario.

With expectations rising, a recent discussion drew an interesting comparison between Goff and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

During a conversation about why Jared Goff might be the best quarterback in the NFL on Woodward Sports on June 19, NFL analyst Sean Baligian explained how he wasn’t shocked to see the Lions' offensive line take a step back last year and how the same had happened to Stafford with the Rams after they had won the Super Bowl.

“There’s no coincidence that their offensive line died. One year they protected him, and then they didn’t,” said Baligian. “Then you watch that happen with Matthew Stafford, too.”

The Rams won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 with Stafford playing at a high level behind a very good offensive line. The very next season, the Rams' offensive line fell apart due to injuries, age, and attrition.

As a result, the defending champion collapsed to a dismal 5-12 record. This was one of the worst follow-up seasons by any Super Bowl champion in NFL history.

“They had two injuries the year after they won the Super Bowl and went straight down,” said Baligian. “It’s amazing how that happens.”

Baligian's critique underscores a bruising 2025 campaign for Detroit's front five, which saw center Frank Ragnow and guard Graham Glasgow struggle through lingering turf toe and knee injuries that disrupted their elite unit continuity 

Baligian’s use of Stafford serves as a relevant historical parallel rather than a direct criticism of Goff. The core point reinforces that even strong quarterbacks can see their supporting cast (especially the offensive line) regress due to injuries, something the Lions are working to avoid as they aim for a deeper playoff run.

Meanwhile, the Lions have been named as a possible landing spot for a pass-rusher from the NFC East

Lions are strong candidates to land $31 million pass rusher

While the Lions possess a superstar edge-rusher in Aidan Hutchinson, the team has been looking at another star to pair him up with.

The Lions were rumoured to be interested in Maxx Crosby, before his failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens, and Myles Garrett, before his trade to the Los Angeles Rams. However, Aaron Schatz of ESPN believes the New York Giants should trade away pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.

With the asking price for Crosby possibly too high and a much bigger contract, Thibodeaux is a cheaper and more attainable target for the Lions. 

He has a total of 23.5 sacks in 53 starts, and 11.5 of those came in 2023. After finishing his $31 million rookie contract in 2025, the Giants had exercised their fifth-year option, earning him $14.75 million in 2026.

Do you think the Lions should trade for Thibodeaux? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi