During Brad Holmes’ time in the Motor City, it’s difficult to argue that he, Dan Campbell, and the other decision-makers in the organization have been placing a lot of faith in the continuing health of starting quarterback Jared Goff, even though it hasn’t yet bit the Detroit Lions where it hurts.
Goff is the only quarterback in Detroit who is signed for the 2026 season, with free agency only approximately two weeks away. A quest should be conducted to find the next man up behind the Pro Bowl signal caller, considering Kyle Allen gave the organization minimal justification to welcome him back this offseason.
Given that the Lions will undoubtedly choose a quarterback at some point during the draft in April, it shouldn’t be unexpected that this squad will require a seasoned player who can step in and maintain the offense humming if Goff is sidelined by an injury.
For this reason, the former first-round pick seems to be willing to spend the 2026 season behind a well-known veteran in order to rehabilitate his career while still learning from one of the greatest and brightest minds in the position. As a result, recent remarks from Anthony Richardson’s agent to Fox Sports should be sufficient to grab the attention of Detroit’s front office.
Rogers informed Henry McKenna of Fox Sports that anything is on the table. And that’s why we’re curious.
As Jared Goff’s backup, Anthony Richardson is worth the risk.
By publicly declaring that Richardson is not in their future plans, the Indianapolis Colts have all but wiped out any advantage they would have in negotiations with teams like Detroit.
Considering previous transactions involving former starting quarterbacks, the Lions would appear to have little to lose by taking a risk on a player who was generally regarded as a talented prospect coming out of the University of Florida, even if it costs a Day 3 draft pick.
Sometimes a fresh start is all a player needs to make a change, as has happened in this league in the past. Richardson can find this in Detroit, and it seems that is exactly what the quarterback and his representation are seeking.
He needs a new beginning. Rogers predicted that his future squad will be shocked by his intelligence. He was 20 when he was drafted. He’s now an adult. He’s seen a lot. … I’m confident that his next stop will be the box office.
He has something to prove, Rogers said. He’ll perform his duties. He will do everything in his power to ensure that his squad has the best opportunity of winning. He’s thrilled.
One of the ways that Richardson will be able to help any franchise that hires him is that the Lions, or any other team, would not be responsible for paying his whole $10 million salary for the 2026 season.
Given that other NFC North opponents like the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are also searching for a quarterback in the market, it would be in Detroit’s best interest to act before its divisional competitors do. Richardson still has much to prove in this league.
If a club were to acquire Richardson in a trade this offseason, they would only be liable for his salary of $5. 385 million and the roster bonus due to him in August, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. This is not an excessive amount to pay to have Richardson on board, given the potential he brings to the table as a QB2.
It is still unclear if the Lions concur with this viewpoint. Although they can do a lot worse than Richardson, at some point they can’t just count on Goff finishing a full 17-game schedule after the signal caller has managed to do so for the previous four seasons.
