Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff offered his first public thoughts about Ben Johnson’s departure and new offensive coordinator John Morton
The Detroit Lions offense will face massive changes in their coaching staff in 2025, and because most of the players are on break, we won’t get their opinions on the staff alterations until they come back for offseason workouts (unless they have a podcast). However, quarterback Jared Goff was in front of the media this past week when he was down in Florida for the Pro Bowl, and he offered some initial thoughts to the SiriusXM NFL crew.
Obviously, Goff and former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had a close relationship, so the Lions quarterback is sorry to see him go—particularly to stay in the division as the Chicago Bears’ next head coach.
“He’s a hell of a coach. He’s a guy that’s made a ton of difference in my career,” Goff said. “I’m obviously a big fan of his. I was joking with him. I wish he didn’t have to be in our division so I didn’t have to try to beat him twice a year, but, no, he’s going to do a great job. Hopefully, not too good, though, with us being in the division together. But, I’ll always be a fan of his, and we’ll always have a good relationship.”
“I was joking with him, I wish he didn’t have to be in our division so I didn’t have to try and beat him twice a year.”@Lions QB Jared Goff discussed how they rebound after the playoff loss & Bears HC Ben Johnson.
https://t.co/xbd7JNuKgv#Lions | #OnePride | #ProBowlGames pic.twitter.com/imDaFMnIIq
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) February 2, 2025
As for his new offensive coordinator, John Morton, Goff has a working relationship with him. Morton was the Lions’ senior offensive assistant in 2022 when Detroit was installing an entirely new offense in Johnson’s first year as offensive coordinator. Goff didn’t offer elaborate thoughts on Morton but certainly expressed some confidence in his new coordinator.
“We were together in 2022, he was an assistant on our staff, and has done it before,” Goff said. “He’s been a coordinator before, has a lot of experience in our league, been around a lot of great coaches. I’m excited to work with him and see where we can go.”
We have yet to hear from any of the Lions’ new coaches, but typically Detroit makes them available to the media during NFL Combine week, which runs from February 27 to March 2.
