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NFL Analyst Ranks Sam Darnold Higher Than Lions QB Jared Goff

Jared Goff was not listed in the top 5 of NFC quarterbacks.
John Maakaron|
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) passes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) passes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

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After the Seattle Seahawks came out victorious against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, the NFL world has given quarterback Sam Darnold a significant amount of praise.

In a recent episode of First Take, ESPN NFL analyst Chris Canty listed his top 5 quarterbacks in the NFC.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was snubbed from the list, as Caleb Williams (No.5), Jalen Hurts (No.4), Sam Darnold (No.3), Jayden Daniels (No. 2) and Matthew Stafford (No.1) were Canty's top NFC quarterbacks.

Darnold has been praised for his success this season, especially after teams like the Jets, Panthers and Vikings all moved on from the former first-round pick.

"He's my QB, you don't put hands on my QB. From the first day we met him, regardless of what he was labeled as before he got here, he got a clean slate with us," said linebacker Ernest Jones. "He has shown and proved why we believe he would get us to this point."

Darnold's personal quarterbacks coach, Jordan Palmer, expects the 28-year-old to really shine with the Seahawks in 2026.

"This is not out of nowhere. It started out his last year in Carolina. It led into what he did every day in practice. You talk to the Niners' guys off the record, they're like, 'Yeah, we thought this would happen.' We watched him every single day in practice," Palmer said, via ESPN. "Everyone was trying to get Sam that year, and he chose the Vikings, and then Kevin O'Connell gets NFL Coach of the Year and gets all the credit. How about some credit for Sam?

"This is a repeatable pattern. Wait until you see how good the Seahawks are going to be in three years when he's not learning the system like he did all offseason. Anybody who thinks it all came together this year, no, this is how dynasties start."

For Goff, he is coming off another productive season in 2025.

Even though there have been rumblings regarding issues with John Morton throughout the season, the former No. 1 overall pick tossed for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns.

It is expected that new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will get back to running plays that highlight Goff's passing skills, especially off of play-action.

Detroit got away from what made the offense successful late in the season, as the rushing attack was inconsistent and the offensive line struggled down the stretch.

If Goff can get off to a hot start in 2026, he will quickly climb back up the quarterback rankings next season.

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

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