Once seen as a temporary quarterback for a Detroit Lions team in the midst of a rebuild, Jared Goff has turned his career around and earned two Pro Bowl selections in the last three seasons.

Goff’s turnaround in Detroit has been closely tied to Ben Johnson, who served as his offensive coordinator for the past three years.

Now, Johnson has moved on to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears, meaning Goff will face him twice a season going forward.

“He’s a hell of a coach,” Goff said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio during the Pro Bowl Games last weekend. “He’s a guy who’s made a huge impact on my career. I’m a big fan of his.

I joked with him – I wish he didn’t have to be in our division so I wouldn’t have to try and beat him twice a year.”

Goff and the Lions dominated the Bears, winning five of six games against them with Johnson as OC. Goff hopes that trend continues.

“He’s going to do a great job,” Goff said. “Hopefully not too well, though, with us still being in the same division. I’ll always be a fan of his and we’ll keep a strong relationship.”

In the past three seasons working under Johnson, Goff has completed 68.1% of his passes for 13,642 yards, 96 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions, earning two Pro Bowl appearances.

After setting career highs with 37 touchdowns and completing a career-best 72.4% of his passes in 2024, Goff will now look to continue his success under new offensive coordinator John Morton.

Goff is familiar with Morton and feels optimistic about the new partnership.

“We were together in 2022,” Goff explained. “He was an assistant on our staff. He’s been a coordinator before, with a lot of experience in our league. He’s been around many great coaches. I’m excited to work with him and see what we can accomplish.”

While Goff and the Lions fell short of their Super Bowl goals in 2024, Detroit is ready to regroup and try again without Johnson.

The key question heading into the 2025 season is how well Goff can maintain his Pro Bowl-level play under Morton.