Jared Goff reflects on Lions' magical season & the power of hard work

Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz caught up with the Lions quarterback about the transformative 2023 season, reshaping the entire franchise, enjoying the journey's successes, and more. Jared Goff joined Yahoo Sports on behalf of Jared Jewelers.

Video transcript

JASON FITZ: Jason Fitz with Yahoo Sports hanging out with Jared Goff, superstar quarterback, joining us on behalf of Jared jewelers. All right, so let's talk about your career a little bit. Because, obviously, when you were traded to the Lions, a lot of people had a lot to say. Now you've had tremendous success. Do you find vindication in that?

JARED GOFF: I've always been confident in myself and known what I can do. I think there's a lot that went into that trade, and I was able to come out here and have some success in the last couple of years. And they've had their success, so there's been good on both sides. But I've been enjoying my time here, and hope to be in Detroit for a long time.

JASON FITZ: I mean, the world enjoyed the run for the Lions last year. It was one of the greatest stories in the NFL season. At what point does it sort of sink in for you how magical that was, but also how much it captivated the entire NFL audience?

JARED GOFF: You know, I don't think I really realized that until this offseason, hearing from people, you know, walking down the street or whatnot, how excited people were for us. And even though they were a fan of, say, another team, they were rooting for us. And it's cool. It's very cool. We never thought that-- or expected to have that type of support, but it's very cool. And our fans here in Detroit are the best. There's no one I'd rather play in front of. And it's been a lot of fun to show them some winning football over the last year or so.

JASON FITZ: What's it to take an organization from being at the lower portion of the league to suddenly being where you guys are?

JASON FITZ: Yeah, a lot of hard work. And I know that's the boring answer, but it's the truth. And it's a lot of hard work and a lot of hands on deck. It's not one person, it's a lot of people, and it's a lot of perseverance, and it's a lot of hard times. It's a lot of going through the mud together and coming out the other side with some success. And have our sights set on something bigger this year, absolutely.

JASON FITZ: I mean, everybody seemed to have something to say about your head coach when he was hired. Everybody had something to say about the Lions draft last year. Everybody's had things to say about you. Are you guys motivated by the noise, or do you just completely shut it out?

JARED GOFF: There's some things that you'll never forget and that stick with you, and a chip on your shoulder. And I think that's good. I don't think that's a bad thing. But we don't ride the roller coaster of what the media may want to do throughout the year, and we stay pretty steadfast and know who we are and what we need to do, and let them kind of have their fun.

JASON FITZ: What was the moment for you in your career where you finally had the time to look around and say, yeah, I've made it, I'm making it, things are good?

JARED GOFF: I haven't had it yet. Hopefully at the end of it.

JASON FITZ: It's crazy to think how much work you put into this-- your whole life to get here and, like, trying to find the balance between pushing forward and appreciation, right? It's just a difficult balance to find.

JARED GOFF: I'll have my moments of appreciation, absolutely. Those will happen all the time. But I think there's never any made it, any-- you're never satisfied. You're always pushing for more, and winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate goal. And then once you're able to accomplish that, you want a second one. And that's just the way it goes.

JASON FITZ: Tell everybody again how they can get involved and what to know about what you're doing with Jared.

JARED GOFF: Yeah, next week it's a draft event. It's the week of the draft. And it's partnered with Give Merit, a company that I've worked with for a long time in being able to help Detroit youth. And something I'm really passionate about, something they're passionate about with me, and the partnership's been pretty seamless in that way, and it's been a lot of fun.

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