“It was mostly security,” Goff said, when asked what he wanted out of the negotiation process. “I think you can go back and forth on the numbers and whatnot, and that wasn’t really the thing I was ever extremely concerned with. It was the security and the no-trade clause and all that stuff, knowing all that was in there. Feeling secure and then knowing I can now put that behind me and be excited about what’s to come.”

The Lions have certainly offered that at every step of the way. They’ve publicly backed Goff as their quarterback. They’ve surrounded him with one of the most talented offenses in football. And even though this extension was essentially a foregone conclusion, awarding Goff a no-trade clause gives him the peace of mind he didn’t have with the Los Angeles Rams, who traded him to Detroit in 2021. The Lions are committed to him, just like he is to them.

Goff has planted his flag in Detroit. He works with local high school students in the city, allowing them to create Detroit-themed merch designs for his clothing brand, JG16. He matches the sale of every clothing item sold, and those proceeds become the participating students’ college scholarships.

Over the years, Detroit has become home to Goff, though it took time to get to where they are now. Last year’s postseason run to the NFC Championship Game was the product of a road less taken — a slow, methodical rebuild in which success was linear. The Lions have gotten better and better with each passing year, going from a feisty 3-13-1 team in 2021 to a legitimate Super Bowl contender.