Lions Face Clear Warning on QB Jared Goff as Season Nears
The Detroit Lions are making sure their quarterback room is ready for prime time when the season starts in September.
The Detroit Lions had one of the league’s most efficient passing attacks last season when quarterback Jared Goff was well-protected, but among the worst when he was under pressure.
That could be a question mark going into the 2025 season, with the Lions going through a number of changes to their offensive line and some new players expected to take on significant roles. One insider wrote that the line’s ability to keep Goff off the turf is the team’s “biggest concern,” which could be the key to whether the Lions repeat as NFC North champions.
Lions Must Learn to Navigate Line Changes
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard identified the offensive line as the biggest concern for the team heading into the 2025 season, noting that the team has been forced to make some unexpected changes.
“After a 15-win season in 2024, Detroit continues to navigate through two key losses on the O-line,” Woodyard wrote. “The Lions lost four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow to retirement and veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason. One of the biggest concerns is whether the offensive production will continue to be among the league’s elite as veteran Graham Glasgow is switching from guard to center and rookie guard Tate Ratledge probably will assume a starting role.”
Woodyward warned that the Lions could struggle if Goff is forced to work under pressure, which is one of the weakest points for the veteran quarterback.
“Though Jared Goff ranks second in the NFL in QBR when he has a clean pocket, he ranks 23rd when he’s under pressure,” Woodyard wrote. “Goff had the second-largest QBR decline in the league in 2024 when he was pressured compared with when he had a clean pocket, ahead of only Daniel Jones.”
Lions See Future at Center for Rookie Lineman
The Lions tried out rookie Ratledge at center during training camp and the preseason, but ultimately moved him back to right guard. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said the team saw a future for Ratledge at center, but wanted to ease into it.
“I think he could’ve handled it if we just could’ve left him there,” Holmes said, via SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit. “But when you start looking at the whole combination of him and Graham (Glasgow) and everything, I think that that was the best thing for not only the players being put in the best positions, but also for the team. Because we didn’t have any kind of questions, we knew what he was at right guard. Like, we already know that, so we were very confident about that.”
Holmes expressed confidence in the offensive line after the offseason changes, saying he believes they will hit the ground running.
“Not only just with the players and the coaching that they are receiving, but there’s some youth along there, and there’s going to be some growth moments,” Holmes said. “But those guys are wired right, so they’re going to learn and are going to grow when those moments come. That’s what I think is great about this place: that’s what we talk about the most, getting them prepared for those moments. So, it’s going to come, and I think it should come just because that’s how they’re going to get better.”
AFC Notes: J.K. Dobbins, Bo Nix, Broncos, Chargers
Broncos
Bo Nix is entering the second year of his career after his breakout rookie campaign in 2024. Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning is confident Nix is “made of the right stuff” to continue being a highly successful quarterback.
“Bo is made of the right stuff. He’s a little bit older, carries himself the right way. And all of it should help as he moves forward in his career,” Manning said, via Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “I am just happy that Bo is the established starter. For a number of years, they had quarterback competitions. That’s hard on the receivers, the coaches, the play-caller, and the quarterback. Now, they’ve got their guy.”
Manning thinks Nix showed talent beyond his years as a rookie.
“I just don’t see that as being a big factor for him. Rookie quarterbacks are supposed to struggle, and then the game slows down. But, it sure looked like it slowed down a lot for him last year,” Manning said. “Like with C.J. Stroud, Bo didn’t play like a rookie. … I believe experience is the best teacher, and he got great experience last year.”
Manning added that playing under Sean Payton for a second season should be beneficial for Nix.
“The continuity, more than anything else. There are times when guys go into their second year, and they are going on their third coordinator,” Manning said. “He has an experienced head coach in Sean, who is his play-caller. Having that same voice and verbiage is so critical. We expect Sean to be here for a long time, so Bo will use that to his advantage.”
Broncos
Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins had a resurgence in his career after missing 2022 with a knee injury and 2023 with a torn Achilles. His surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, said he grew a close relationship with Dobbins and praised him for his perseverance.
“I can’t say enough about him,” ElAttrache said, via Luca Evans of The Denver Post. “I mean, he’s the kind of guy that I would like to have as a friend forever. He’s that kind of person.”
ElAttrache pointed out that damaged ligaments can never return to their previous health, but Dobbins has worked hard on his rehab.
“You never want to expect they’re going to be 22 years old again,” ElAttrache said. “You can’t turn back the clock and go before, when he was that number one (running back) for the Ravens. But, having said that, his performance was still right there.”
Chargers
Chargers DC Jesse Minter still holds on to rejection letters from graduate assistant jobs that he applied to across the country, accumulating 98 in total. Minter said the rejections are a reminder to be grateful for where he is now.
“Because that’s just how I operate,” Minter said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “It’s just that reminder of the joy that it is, the blessing that it is, the opportunity that you have, not to take it for granted and not to ever feel like you’ve arrived.”
Minter said he’s always tried to operate without an ego and build a culture of letting people know their value.
“A lot of coaches have crazy egos, and I think there’s a difference in being confident in yourself and sure of yourself, and then having an ego,” Minter said. “I’ve always tried really, really hard to not have an ego, to really try to build a situation where everybody feels like they have value, where everybody feels like they’re part of the success.”
- Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Chargers RB Najee Harris participated in three-straight practices last week and was cleared for contact on Friday.
