Jared Goff enjoyed his best fantasy football performance in 2024, but repeating that success could prove much harder.
After being cast aside by the Los Angeles Rams and head coach Sean McVay, Goff found new life in Detroit. His resurgence began in 2021, his first season as a Lion, when Ben Johnson took over as passing game coordinator.
Johnson was later promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022, and his best move was allowing Goff to have a say in the offense. This approach of tailoring the offense to the quarterback’s strengths, rather than forcing him to fit into a rigid system, paid off, especially when Goff thrived under Johnson’s guidance.
While Goff doesn’t offer much as a rusher, aside from two rushing touchdowns in 2023, he’s consistently been a top-10 fantasy QB for the past three years with Johnson calling the shots. He finished as QB10 in 2022, QB7 in 2023, and a career-high QB6 in 2024.
But now, Johnson is the new head coach for the Chicago Bears.
The Lions did their best to maintain continuity by hiring John Morton as the new offensive coordinator. Morton had been with Detroit’s staff in 2022 before spending the last two years as the Denver Broncos’ passing game coordinator under Dan Campbell’s mentor, Sean Payton.
Campbell also emphasized that Goff’s input would be considered in choosing Johnson’s replacement, suggesting that Morton was hired with Goff’s approval.
Managing Goff as a fantasy player is not without its challenges, but those who draft him understand the risks. He has the potential to deliver unexpected results—sometimes underperforming on what should be a big week, and other times surprising on a quiet one. Looking ahead to 2025, Goff will still have the same talented skill players and an excellent offensive line, despite possible changes.
However, regression is a possibility for Goff, and it’s an important factor to consider. Losing Johnson is bound to have an effect.
In Bleacher Report’s analysis of fantasy football winners and losers from the 2025 NFL coaching changes, Alex Kay ranked Goff as the top loser (assuming a ranked order).
It may be unfair to judge Morton based on his past role as the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017, given the limited talent he had to work with at the time. Plus, it was eight years ago.
Still, uncertainty surrounds Goff’s fantasy prospects more than any other player on the Lions’ roster, and his outlook won’t be clear until we see how Morton structures the offense.
That won’t happen until Week 1 of the regular season. Therefore, Goff remains in the same position as he always has in fantasy—either draft a better option or avoid him entirely.