Detroit has locked up three of its core players to nine-figure extensions this offseason, following a simple law of human dynamics that few teams actually practice.
There are teams that, when on the verge of Super Bowl contention, behave like the core of their roster is precious and familial and integral to the continued success of the operation. And then there are teams that get into the same position and begin to squeeze the help like a pack of headhunters from McKinsey.
The contract is a win for the Lions because they understand the law of good vibes. You pay your best players and you pay them without making them hang by a thread for months or years. You pay them before it gets aggravating or suspicious. You treat them like people who have done something for you. In turn, they tend to perform better. It’s a very simple law of human dynamics that, for some reason, few teams tend to practice with regularity.
This is what the Eagles did following their first Super Bowl win as a franchise. They rewarded cornerstone players with big deals and laid the foundation not only for the immediate future, but for a second iteration of the team that reached the Super Bowl a few years later under a different head coach. Say what you will about the Lions, but spending sprees like this are about more than just good business sense (and, indeed, signing both Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown to contracts before the market was rocked by some generational talent is smart). It’s about a chain reaction of mutual respect and belief that travels to the very top, where someone has to write a check (and, believe me, there are owners out there who claim to be all about winning but won’t open their checkbooks for a sturdy backup QB).
Goff’s contract is a win because the Lions don’t seem preoccupied with looking like the smartest people in the room. They seem concerned with making sure everyone in the room wants to remain there.
It’s cliché to say the Lions are “all in” but not if you explain it properly. They are “all in” in the way good teams are “all in.” They’re paying their best players and not worrying about employing all of the too-smart tricks that get general managers back slaps at the next budget meeting. They are actually behaving in a manner that leads us to believe they want to win a Super Bowl. It sounds simple, but you’d be stunned how few teams can actually say that.