ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) - After getting long-term security with a $212 million contract extension, Lions quarterback Jared Goff said he has one more thing to accomplish with Detroit.
Win the franchise's first Super Bowl.
A few minutes after signing the four-year deal on Thursday that will take him through the 2028 season, the Lions quarterback told reporters he was focused on making sure he had a home.
"It was mostly security," he said. "You can go back and forth on the numbers, but that wasn't the thing I was ever extremely concerned about. It was the security and the no-trade clause and all that stuff, knowing all that was in there. Feeling secure and then knowing I can now put that behind me and be excited about what's to come."
There's no doubt about what needs to come for the contract to be considered a success. For the first time since Bobby Layne in the 1950s, a Detroit Lions quarterback is expected to win a championship.
"That's our ultimate goal - we're not thinking about anything else," he said. "It isn't about external motivation anymore. It's the internal motivation to want to win for this city and my teammates and our coaches. I want to win for these fans. I want them to be able to keep experiencing the success we've had over the last year and a half or whatever it is, and just continue to do that."
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Goff has developed a unique bond with Detroit's long-suffering fanbase. Coming off five poor years for all four pro franchises, Detroiters are suddenly getting thrills from the team that has struggled for decades. It has been 67 years since the Lions won the NFL title, but Goff had them on the verge of the first Super Bowl appearance in Lions history.
That's why, when the Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers have played poorly this spring, crowds have turned to chanting their new hero's name.
"Jar-ed Goff", "Jar-ed Goff" was part of the atmosphere at Little Caesars Arena, where the Red Wings narrowly missed the playoffs and the Pistons lost a franchise-record 68 games, and at Comerica Park, where the Tigers have fallen below .500 after a promising start.
"It's been wild, because I obviously get those clips sent to me quite often," Goff said. "It's something I've never gotten to experience before, especially in the fashion of last year's playoffs. It was happening in the supermarket and retirement homes."
The Lions are considered strong contenders for 2024, but they are also playing a first-place schedule in an NFC North division that figures to be tougher than a year ago.
Now, though, there is an all-in mentality, with Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penai Sewell all signing lucrative extensions.
"I think that's important," Goff said. "That means they recognized upstairs that we had three players that were due for a new deal and took care of them. That's something that potential free agents and draft picks are going to see - they know that if you come here and play well, you are taken care of."
"The three of us are very motivated and driven to win a Super Bowl, but it isn't just us. It's all 53 of us. I love the players we have on the field for every offensive snap and it is fun to know I'll get to play with those guys quite a bit longer."
It isn't only the players. Goff is also excited for a third season working under head coach Dan Campbell, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell.
"It's very rare to have those three coaches stay in the same roles for three years," he said. "With the Rams, we seemed to have a new quarterbacks coach every season. I think it compounds itself over time, and that shows in the ways we've been able to play together and work together.
"But all this does is set us up for what we want. The ultimate success is winning the Super Bowl."
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