Former Cal Star Jared Goff Cashes in With Lions: $212 Million Over 4 Seasons

Former Cal star Jared Goff, who helped the Detroit Lions to the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance last season, will sign a four-year, $212 million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The new deal includes $170 million in guaranteed money.

Goff will be the highest-paid player in franchise history and the $53 million average of the new deal elevates him to No. 2 among NFL quarterbacks, trailing only Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow ($55 million).

The former No. 1 overall draft pick has been productive and efficient for the Lions the past two seasons. The 29-year-old’s 9,013 passing yards and 3.1 touchdown-to-interception ratio both are second-best in the NFL, his 59 TD passes are tied for third and his 38 percent first-down rate is fourth-best.

According to ESPN, Goff has been particularly good in the fourth quarter of games the past two seasons: Leading the NFL in TD-to-interception ratio (17-5), QBR and passing yards.

More important than his individual numbers is this: The Lions have won 21 games the past two regular seasons, a franchise record for any two-year span.

Detroit’s 12 victories last season tied the 1991 franchise mark for most wins in a single season.

The Lions won two playoff games last season for the first time since 1957 and their appearance in the NFC championship game was their first since 1991. Detroit barely missed advancing to its first-ever Super Bowl, losing 34-31 to the 49ers, despite 273 passing yards and a touchdown in a turnover-free performance by Goff.

Goff has passed for 12,258 yards and 78 touchdowns with just 27 interceptions in three seasons since being traded by the Los Angeles Rams to Detroit for Matthew Stafford.

Detroit has invested heavily in its offensive future this offseason, also giving contract extensions to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ($120.01 million/4 years) and offensive tackle Penei Sewell ($112 million/4 years).

A native of Marin County, Goff played three seasons (2013-15) at Cal, starting all 37 games he played. He set program records with 12,195 passing yards and 96 touchdowns over his career, along with 43 TDs his final season.