The Detroit Lions enter the 2025 NFL season with significant changes to their coaching staff.
The departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears left the biggest void.
His innovative system helped transform the Lions into one of the league’s most explosive offenses.
However, NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell believes quarterback Jared Goff deserves more recognition for his role in that success.
“Here’s the question that we don’t know the answer to, because now Jared Goff was in that system with Ben Johnson for what, three-four years. I’m not sure we give Jared Goff enough credit. We just spoke about how Caleb Williams has so much to learn. Goff really mastered that offense. So the question is: How much input will he have? … Goff really handled everything in that offense there,” Cosell said on “The Herd.”
"I'm not sure we give Jared Goff enough credit."@colincowherd and @gregcosell talk about how the Detroit Lions will adjust after losing two coordinators pic.twitter.com/g3G751jtHt
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 7, 2025
The comments highlight something often overlooked about Goff’s development in Detroit.
His time working with Johnson went beyond simply executing plays. Goff learned to read defenses at an elite level.
He mastered pre-snap adjustments that became crucial to the Lions’ success. Those skills made him more than just a system quarterback.
John Morton now takes over as offensive coordinator, and Goff’s experience should help ease that transition.
His understanding of what worked under Johnson gives the Lions continuity they might otherwise lack.
Last season, Goff had 4,629 passing yards and 37 touchdowns while helping Detroit to a 15-2 record.
Those numbers earned him NFL MVP consideration and his second Pro Bowl selection with the Lions.
Head coach Dan Campbell has praised Goff’s increased involvement in game planning, and that collaborative approach suggests the quarterback will have significant input in Morton’s system.
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