NFL Analyst Believes Jared Goff Is Still Best NFC North Quarterback

Dan Orlovsky ranks the NFC North starting quarterbacks.

Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) warms up before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Former Detroit Lions quarterback and current ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky continues to love himself some Jared Goff. 

Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday, Orlovsky – who suited up the Lions in two separate stints – named the veteran Detroit signal-caller the No. 1 quarterback in the NFC North.

"If I'm ranking the NFC North quarterbacks, I would put Goff at one, (Green Bay Packers QB Jordan) Love at two. And that would be a clear one-two for me,” Orlovsky told McAfee. “And then there would be a gap … and then I would go (Minnesota Vikings QB) Kyler (Murray) at three, (Chicago Bears QB) Caleb (Williams) at four. No, you know what? I’d go Caleb at three, Kyler at four.”

"If I'm ranking the NFC North quarterbacks Jared Goff is at one and Jordan Love is at two..

That would be a clear one and two for me"@danorlovsky7 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/VCS9btiWJj

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 13, 2026

Love, entering his fourth season as the Packers’ starter, is coming off his most efficient season as a passer. He finished the 2025 campaign with multiple career-best marks for himself as a starting QB (a 66.3 percent completion percentage, just six interceptions and a 72.7 QBR).  

Meanwhile, Williams, entering his third season as a starter, is coming off a breakthrough campaign, and Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler with the Cardinals, gets a fresh start in Minnesota after an injury-plagued final season in the desert. 

Then there’s Goff, who continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Lions’ high-powered offense. With the 2016 No. 1 overall pick under center in 2025, Detroit finished with the fourth-highest scoring attack, averaging 28.3 points per game.

Goff, a Pro Bowler a season ago, completed 68 percent of his passes, and threw for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns. Meanwhile, he tossed just eight interceptions, his lowest total since the 2022 campaign.

Additionally, in five seasons now in the Motor City, Goff has thrown for a total of 149 touchdowns and 21,451 yards. He's also led Dan Campbell's squad to a 48-33-1 record, including four straight winning seasons and two NFC North division crowns (2023 and 2024).

The 31-year-old passer, a consummate pro and strong leader in the Lions’ locker room, doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Thus, it's easy to see why Orlovsky anointed the Detroit quarterback as the top passer in the NFC North entering the 2026 season.

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