Doubt quietly followed Detroit’s quarterback after a season that ended with the Lions missing the playoffs for the third time with Jared Goff under center.

Recently, NFL insider Mike Florio raised serious concerns about Goff’s future as QB1 for the Detroit Lions amid growing fan impatience ahead of the 2026 NFL season. 

“'You've got to deliver the Super Bowl berth,” Florio said. “You don't have to deliver the Super Bowl win, but you have to deliver the Super Bowl berth at some point. There's a shelf-life there. We don't know what it is, but it's there.'”

Detroit’s 2025 campaign failed to match expectations set by the 2024 season. The Lions finished with a 15-2 record and 1st in the NFC North in 2024.

But last season ended with a 9-8 record and out of the playoff picture entirely.

Despite the team's struggles, Goff has remained productive.

In 2025, he racked up 4,564 yards (second in the league) and 34 touchdowns. This made him earn an overall PFF grade of 77.7.  

Since 2022, he has thrown for 18,206 yards with 130 touchdowns but has failed to reach the Super Bowl. 

So, for the 2026 NFL campaign, the Lions are building a strong roster around their QB1, Goff. The expectations are really high, and the fans are not ready to face another defeat.

“At some point, the fanbase will say, 'If we're ever going to get the thing we're trying to get, we have to upgrade — someway, somehow.' And no quarterback is immune from that,” said Florio. “At some point, you've got to deliver.”

Goff is the starter for the upcoming season, but at 31, the Lions need a developing quarterback behind him.

Lions Build QB Depth Behind Jared Goff for 2026

According to the Lions' official website, five quarterbacks will fit well in Detroit.

The list includes Cole Payton, Cade Klubnik, Taylen Green, Haynes King and Luke Altmyer, per senior writer Tim Twentyman of the Lions website.

Payton is a dual-threat quarterback from North Dakota State. He led the FCS in multiple categories: passing efficiency (193.84), yards per attempt (12.1) and yards per completion (16.9) last season.

Klubnik comes in with three years of experience as a starter at Clemson. He threw for 2,943 yards with 16 touchdowns last season. But per Twentyman, the QB struggles with pocket presence.

Apart from them, King and Altmyer both have three years of starter experience. King is also a dual-threat QB, while Altmyer was ranked No. 1 in Illinois history for his completion percentage of 64.4.

Having said that, for now, Goff holds the job, but expectations are high this season. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore