Ahead of their sixth season together with the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell believes quarterback Jared Goff has similar traits to one of the league's all-time greats.
"His processing speed reminds me of (Drew) Brees," Campbell told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "He sees it, he sees it. And every year it's gotten faster and faster. And then watch him under duress. Nobody makes a more accurate throw under duress than Jared Goff."
Campbell said his veteran signal-caller doesn't gets the recognition he deserves for being one of the top passers in the NFL.
"He is massively underrated," Campbell added. "This is a quarterback that plays the quarterback position - he knows how to play quarterback. When you gotta have it, (he) can stand in the pocket, make an accurate throw, an accurate read, and that's what the quarterback position is. And he's a rare breed of man."
Goff has gone 48-31-1 as the Lions' starting quarterback since he was acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. He's reached the playoffs in two of those five seasons and led Detroit to the conference championship during the 2023 campaign.
Since 2021, Goff ranks second in passing yards (21,451), fourth in completion percentage (67.9%), and fifth in EPA/dropback (0.14) among 36 quarterbacks with at least 1,000 pass attempts, according to TruMedia. His 149 passing touchdowns put him third behind Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
Brees, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August, led the league in passing yards seven times. His 67.7% completion percentage ranks first among 40 qualifying signal-callers since 2001.
The Lions are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Despite not securing a trip to the postseason in 2025, Detroit's offense finished third in yards per play and fourth in total points.
"All that matters is we keep winning, and you win the big one, man," Campbell said. "You win your division, and then you find a way to win the big one. And then, so be it. And if you still don't get respect, who gives a crap, because you won, and nobody can take that away from you."
Detroit will kick off its season against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13.
