Jared Goff will soon be earning 53 million US dollars a year with the Detroit Lions, making him the NFL’s second-highest-paid quarterback after Joe Burrow. Is a passer who was often decried as a game manager worth all that money? Yes! Comment.

The sum is crazy, no question. Jared Goff is set to earn 212 million US dollars (195.93 million euros) over four years.

A surgeon with an average annual salary of 109,000 euros would have to work for around 1,945 years to achieve this, and a high school teacher with an annual salary of around 60,000 euros would even have to work for 3,533 years.

But we are not talking about the healthcare or education sectors here. We’re talking about the NFL – the biggest sports league in the world in terms of revenue.

A league in which even a moderately talented quarterback like Daniel Jones was allowed to sign a 160 million dollar contract. A league in which salaries rise and rise with the salary cap – almost faster than rents in major German cities.

And in the world of crazy salaries, a Jared Goff is worth every one of those 212 million dollars!

Goff was even convincing when the Lions were weak

As a reminder, when Goff was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to Detroit for the 2021 season, the Lions were the laughing stock of the league. They won just three of 17 games this season.

What was often overlooked: Goff was already delivering back then. With a pass rate of 67.2 percent, he set a franchise record. His interception rate of 1.6 percent was even a new record.

After that, things continued to go uphill. With head coach Dan Campbell and several other key players, including German wide receiver Amon Ra St. Brown, the Lions became a top team surprisingly quickly. In the past two seasons, Goff has helped the Lions to 21 wins – a franchise record for this period.

Twelve wins in the 2023 regular season alone. Detroit hasn’t had that many triumphs since the 1991 season. Goff is also the quarterback who led the Lions to two wins in a single postseason for the first time since 1957.

There may be many fans who see Goff as nothing more than a game manager. In other words, a quarterback who works on a good team but doesn’t make the difference.

However, the numbers tell a different story: 4,575 passing yards were the second-best figure of the 2023 season, and his 96 passes with a gain of at least 20 yards are also tied for second place.

This shows that he is not a game manager, but a quarterback for the big plays.

Goff is no Mahomes, but has lived through more

Admit it: Goff is not as spectacular as a Patrick Mahomes. But – and this can also be crucial – he has learned to deal with setbacks.

When he debuted as a No. 1 pick in the NFL in 2016, he was quickly considered a flop. He was later literally chased off the field by the Rams, with whom he played in the Super Bowl once.

He also experienced failure in his first year with the Lions. But he didn’t break. He became stronger. That’s what makes a leader.

And a leader in the NFL is paid handsomely.