Lions quarterback Jared Goff gives good insight on when he might retire
The Detroit Lions are in a good spot right now with their quarterback, Jared Goff. In fact, they're in what Goff believes to be his sweet spot. He's in the prime of his career and is regularly in or around the MVP conversation.
Goff just turned 31 years old a couple of weeks ago and is one of the few starting quarterbacks in their 30s in the league right now. Anytime a quarterback hits his 30s, you start to wonder a little bit about when they might regress and when they might retire. You just never know. Luckily, Goff has given us a bit of a timeline.
Jared Goff says to ask him about retirement again in five years
Goff was on the Hot Mics with Billy Bush podcast this week, and Bush asked Goff about how long he wants to play in the league and if he wants to be like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers and play into his 40s.
"I don't know. It's hard, I think about it, but like, it's hard to know how I'm going to feel in five years." Goff said. "I've been pretty healthy up to this point, and so if that continues, yeah, sure, I could keep going for a long time, but it's hard to know. And then your family comes into it, and there's different dynamics, and yeah, but I hope to play for quite some time, but it's hard to put a number on it right now, and I think in five years, eight years, I might have a better answer for you.
In five years, Goff will be 36 years old. In eight years, he'll be 39. That's quite a way down the road. At this point, Goff is under contract with the Lions until he's 34. The Lions could very well look to give him an extension around that 2027 mark. They could even do it next year as part of his expected restructuring.
On another note, it's worth mentioning that the Lions appear to be doing their due diligence on quarterbacks who are going to be in the 2026 NFL Draft. That doesn't mean that the Lions are moving on anytime soon, but it could mean that in five years, they want to go with a younger guy whom they groom for a few seasons. We'll see what happens, but for now, Goff plans to stick around for a while.
The Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster
The Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4-2) are getting back in their groove, winning four straight games after their 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. While the Lightning look to rise to the top of the Atlantic Division their American Hockey League (AHL, Syracuse Crunch) and ECHL teams (Orlando Solar Bears) are heading in opposite directions. The Crunch are cruising, with a 6-1-0-0 record, which leads the North Division, while the Solar Bears own a dreadful 1-4-0-0 record, allowing twice as many goals (20) as they’ve scored.
Even still, there are standouts littered in the minors for Tampa Bay, and in some instances, the Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster.
AHL: Jakob Pelletier, F
The Lightning signed Pelletier to a three-year contract last offseason in the hopes he’d reach his massive upside. At 24 years old, the 2019 first-round pick scored four goals and seven assists with a plus-10 rating in 24 games for the Calgary Flames last season. That’s an average of about 14-24-38 over a full season, and he was usually playing bottom-six minutes.
Unfortunately, the Flames traded the winger to Philadelphia for Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost in late January. Pelletier couldn’t get back his offensive spark in Philadelphia. With the Flyers, he scored just three goals, five assists, and eight points in 25 games, sometimes being healthy scratched. When he was due $840,000 on a qualifying offer on a two-way deal, the Flyers non-tendered him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Pelletier hasn’t made his debut with the Lightning, but with the Crunch, he’s thriving. Through seven games, Pelletier has notched four goals and five assists, with a plus-1 rating. He currently leads the Crunch in points and goals. In a 5-2 win against the Hershey Bears, Pelletier had two goals and an assist.
If Pelletier keeps this pace up, the Lightning could recall him, and he could be an injection of youth Tampa Bay desperately needs right now.
AHL: Dylan Duke, F
Dylan Duke is another young talent the Lightning hope can evolve into an NHL-caliber forward. He was drafted 121st overall by Tampa Bay after a stellar career with the Michigan Wolverines. In 2023-24, Duke was on a team with NHL draftees Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, and Seamus Casey. However, Duke led the team in goals (26) and finished third in points (49). Overall, he finished with 54 goals and 46 assists in 123 games.
Duke has just one goal in the NHL level so far, but he is turning a new leaf with the Crunch this season. He’s scored one goal and added six assists for seven points through seven games. He is currently in the top 20 in assists in the AHL level.
It appears Duke could be taking a big jump from his rookie season, when he scored 20 goals, 20 assists, and 40 points through 62 games. Like Pelletier, Duke is another young forward the Lightning are looking to develop into an NHL-caliber player. Unlike Pelletier, Duke is just 22, and he has time to grow and become another late-round NHL contributor for the Lightning.
ECHL: Spencer Kersten, F
It’s hard to find a standout for the Solar Bears this season, but there’s one player who’s been tried and true for them. Spencer Kersten continues to shine for Orlando.
Kersten spent four years with Princeton University and one year at Bowling-Green University before signing with the Solar Bears in 2024. In his rookie season, Kersten shined, recording 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points through 60 games. That earned him a spot on the 2024-25 ECHL All-Rookie team.
This year, Kersten has increased his scoring output, with three goals and three assists for six points through five games. He is on pace to record 86 points this season.
That could earn Kersten a recall to the AHL. His strong play with Orlando earned him brief stints with the Crunch and the Belleville Senators on loan. He scored one goal in nine games with the Crunch, but he could be in line for more opportunities in the AHL if he keeps up this pace.
