Lions General Manager Brad Holmes gave quarterback Jared Goff a ringing endorsement while addressing the media on Tuesday.

#Lions GM Brad Holmes says "It's a lot easier to get worse at QB than to get better at QB." Holmes says they'll never turn down a good football player in the draft but, "I do think that Jared has proven that he's the best quarterback for us," he said.

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 10, 2023

As you recall, the Lions acquired Goff in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2020 off-season. The deal involved the Lions sending quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Goff and several draft picks. One of those picks is the Rams 2023 draft pick, which will be the 6th overall pick.

Holmes emphasized he had high expectations for Goff when the trade happened, and said that the quarterback exceeded those expectations during the 2020 season. He praised Goff’s leadership abilities, pointing to the way he helped guide the team through a difficult season. “He’s proven that he’s a winner,” Holmes said. “He’s a quarterback that can lead us to where we want to go.”

#Lions GM Brad Holmes says he never really deemed Jared Goff as a "bridge" QB.

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 10, 2023

The faith continued to payoff as he threw for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He threw 15 touchdown passes with no interceptions over the last nine games of the season.

With the extra draft picks, the Lions could draft one of the promising quarterback prospects, like C.J. Stoud of Ohio State. Should the Lions decide to cut Goff, it would be a $10 million dead cap charge in 2023, saving them $20,650,000. If they waited until 2024, it would be a $5 million dead cap charge, saving them $26,650,064 (per Over The Cap)

But with the Lions finishing near the bottom of the league in defense, defensive tackles like Bryan Bresee or Siaki Ika would certainly help the defensive core. Their 20 1/2 sacks set an NFL rookie record, so they set the foundation to add more.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)