Lions Are Being Sued Over Jared Goff Photos

A new report indicates the Detroit Lions are being sued by a California photographer over the use of photos of quarterback Jared Goff.

Attorneys for Dennis Lee, a photographer in California, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California over the use of three separate photos of Goff.

Lee is seeking compensation as well as a temporary injunction that would prevent the team from copying, displaying, distributing or selling the photos according to court records.

A Lions spokesperson expressed to Lions OnSI the club does not comment on pending legal matters.

The suit reads that Lee is seeking a jury trial for all things triable.

According to the lawsuit, Lee has been a photographer in California for over 20 years who primarily works with MaxPreps and Scorebook Live, and is the sole owner of the three photographs. Two of the photos feature Goff playing basketball in high school, while the third is one of him as a high school baseball player at Marin Catholic High School.

"Lee makes a substantial portion of his income by licensing photographs independently and th rough licensing websites like MaxPreps," reads the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that the person who purchased the photos "agreed to the personal, noncommercial license." However, the document argues that the Lions' use of the photos "vastly exceeded the terms."

According to the suit, the Lions' accounts are considered commercial because they are used to promote the team's games, players and merchandise.

The Lions' social media team posted the photos on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) on March 27, 2025 in a post recognizing the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and Opening Day for Major League Baseball.

Detroit's Instagram page currently has two million followers, while their X account currently has 1.8 million followers. In addition, the posts are shareable and as a result can be seen by countless other users.

Lee's lawsuit claims that the Lions never paid for a proper license to distribute the photos, and as a result, "This copying has cost Lee an enormous amount of lost licensing fees; he has not received any compensation for TDL (The Detroit Lions)'s commercial use, copying, and display of any of the Goff photos."

The lawsuit also indicates the photos of Goff have increased value, as they are believed to be "rare and valuable" and some of the "only known professionally taken photos of Goff playing baseball and basketball in high school."