The Detroit Lions are likely already fired up to face the Chicago Bears and their former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson next season, but quarterback Jared Goff might have some additional motivation when he faces his ex-coach.
At the NFL combine, Johnson spoke highly of Caleb Williams’s abilities as a quarterback, highlighting his athleticism and knack for making plays off-script. While Johnson didn’t mention Goff by name or directly compare him to Williams, some interpreted his remarks as an unintentional slight toward Goff, who played under Johnson for three seasons.
“To have an athlete like Caleb extend the play and potentially find an explosive down the field, that’s what gets me going a little bit,” Johnson stated last week. “I get excited thinking about that because I haven’t really been around that since I’ve been in the league. I’ve been on the other side; it’s demoralizing.”
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and his brother, Equanimeous, had differing opinions on The St. Brown Podcast regarding whether Johnson’s comments were a jab at Goff, but Amon-Ra feels they will give Goff “more fire” the next time they face the Bears.
“It’s just going to give Jared (Goff) that much more fire when we play the Bears,” Amon-Ra said. “Am I here for it? I’m here for it.”
Even if Goff doesn’t take offense to that particular quote, he might feel compelled to prove he can succeed without Johnson. Throughout his career, much of Goff’s success has been attributed to either Johnson or Sean McVay, his former coach in Los Angeles.
Now that Johnson has moved to the Bears and Goff has regained confidence with the Lions, he has a perfect opportunity to show he can excel without either Johnson or McVay.