Report: Lions QB Jared Goff ‘unlikely’ to play on Thanksgiving vs. Bears

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Detroit Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff will not only miss this Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, but it’s growing increasingly likely he’ll miss the Thanksgiving matchup against the Chicago Bears, as well.

“It is considered unlikely that Goff will be recovered in enough time for Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day game against the Chicago Bears,” Schefter wrote on Saturday night.

Goff suffered an oblique injury early last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers and was unable to practice at all during this week. On Friday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told media that Goff was feeling better and would attempt to throw before Friday’s practice, but when the team took the field that day, Goff was not suited up.

Goff told reporters earlier in the week that if he can’t throw the ball with his typical strength, he won’t go out there and potentially hurt the team.

“If I can throw it as hard as I want to and it doesn’t pull on me, then I can go. If not, then I can’t,” Goff said.

Tim Boyle will start in Goff’s place on Sunday against the Browns, marking his first career NFL start. The Lions signed Boyle this offseason to a one-year, $2.5 million deal to be the team’s backup. For the previous three years, Boyle served as depth behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.

Boyle struggled at the college level, but his impressive arm strength gave him a chance at the NFL level. He managed to impress many in Green Bay after putting together several impressive preseason performances. However, that did not carry over to his first year in Detroit, where he completed just 22-of-39 passes for 135 yards (3.5 yards per attempt), 1 touchdown, and zero interceptions in three preseason appearances.

If Boyle struggles or suffers an injury in Sunday’s game against the Browns, the Lions could fall back on David Blough for Thursday’s game. Blough made his first NFL start in 2019—on Thanksgiving against the Bears.

UPDATE: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network appears slightly more optimistic about Goff’s chances of playing on Thursday, but still calls it an “uphill battle.”