Jared Goff deserves to rival Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen for the NFL's MVP award after enjoying an "exceptional" season with the Detroit Lions.

That is the view of Lions offensive tackle Dan Skipper, who has hailed the Detroit quarterback for the way he has responded to being traded by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. 

Detroit are considered one of the favourites to win Super Bowl LIX after earning the top seed in the NFC by finishing with a 15-2 regular-season record. 

The Opta supercomputer gives them an 11.3% chance of lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the first time, making them third-favourites behind the Kansas City Chiefs (18.3%) and the Buffalo Bills (14.9%).

Among all starting quarterbacks in the NFL this season, Goff ranks second for passing yards (4,629, behind Joe Burrow), fourth for passing touchdowns (37) and second for quarterback rating (111.8, behind Jackson).

Despite his excellent performances, Goff is not among the favourites to win the NFL's top individual prize, with reigning MVP Jackson and Bills star Allen the leading contenders.

Speaking to Stats Perform about Goff's MVP hopes, Skipper said: "He's having an exceptional year. I don't think there's any way to beat around that.

"MVP, I don't know what metrics they use or don't use, but that's a media award, if anything. It's not really a player-driven thing. 

"Should he be? Yes. Is he in the conversation? I don't know. But at the end of the day, Jared's our guy. 

"If he were to win it, we'd be over the moon excited. Does he deserve to win it, in my opinion? Absolutely. Is the media narrative that? Probably not."

Only one QB in NFL history has had, over the course of his entire career (same season or not),

a season with 4000+ pass yds
a season with a 70.0+ comp pct
a season with a 110.0+ passer rating
a season with 15+ wins as a starter

That one QB is Jared Goff. He did it all in 2024. pic.twitter.com/YdjcVOgCxM

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) January 6, 2025

In NFL history, Goff is the only quarterback to register a season with 4,000 passing yards, a season with a pass completion rate of 70% or more, a season with a passer rating of 110.0 or better and a campaign with 15 victories as a starter, with the Lions man achieving all of those feats in 2024.

Asked what makes Goff special, Skipper said: "It's the intangibles that people don't know about him, he's consistent. He's the same guy every day. Obviously, he's smart.

"He can throw the ball, he can make all the throws, he can do the run, chat, he does it all but he also cares about people and he has a great way of connecting with those around him. 

"Not everyone's like that. When it's someone you genuinely care about, I think you get a little bit more out of guys around you. 

"He's the steady linchpin, where you can't really get him up, but you can't really get him down. He's the same guy all the time, that's why we all have so much faith in him no matter how the game is going. You know Jared is going to be Jared."

The Lions are currently on bye ahead of the divisional round taking place next weekend, when they will face either the Green Bay Packers, the Washington Commanders, the Minnesota Vikings or the Rams, depending on the wild-card results.

Every touchdown from the 2024 regular season 

 pic.twitter.com/qLvCBETpQs

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 10, 2025

Goff was traded by the Rams in 2021, having fallen short in the postseason three times, including a defeat to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

Replacement Matthew Stafford led Los Angeles to Super Bowl glory two years later, but they have failed to return to that stage since then, while Goff has flourished in Detroit.

"We joke that we're the land of misfit toys," Skipper said. "A lot of us veteran guys, we've either been compiled from other places or kicked out, been traded, not wanted, been disrespected. 

"Jared was a really good quarterback in LA, right? I think folks tend to forget that. For whatever reason, they decided to turn the page there. 

"From the first day I met him to now, he's a little more comfortable and we know each other and have an established relationship, but he's still the same guy. 

"A lot of players could have tanked right there, but he took it in stride, took it on the chin, and I think he's grown from it, and I think he's proved a lot of people wrong."