Jared Goff is a statue. That is the book on him, anyway. If you listen to enough Sunday afternoon broadcasts, you’ll hear it a dozen times: he’s the classic pocket passer, a throwback to an era where quarterbacks stayed between the tackles and let their arms do the heavy lifting. But if you actually dig into the jared goff rushing stats, the story gets a lot weirder than just a guy with "heavy feet."
He isn't Lamar Jackson. Obviously. But he isn't exactly Tom Brady in a pair of lead boots either.
Honestly, the way Goff moves—or doesn't move—is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Detroit Lions' high-powered offense. We're talking about a guy who just finished the 2025 season with a massive 4,564 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, yet his rushing total often looks like a typo. People see a low rushing yardage number and assume he’s immobile. That’s a mistake.
The Reality of Jared Goff Rushing Stats
Let's look at the raw numbers from the 2025 campaign. Goff finished the regular season with 19 rushing attempts for 45 yards. That averages out to about 2.4 yards per carry. On paper? It’s nothing. You could find high school punters with more productive legs.
But check out his 2024 season. He had 35 carries for 56 yards. Wait, why the discrepancy?
It’s the sacks and the kneel-downs. In the NFL, sacks count against a team's passing total, but yardage lost on a quarterback kneel-down—the "victory formation"—actually eats into a player's individual rushing stats. Because the Lions win a lot of games, Goff spends a significant amount of time taking a knee. He's literally losing yards because his team is too good.
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- Career Rushing Yards: 596 (as of early 2026)
- Career Rushing TDs: 12
- 2025 Longest Run: 24 yards (against Green Bay in November)
- 2025 Rushing TDs: 0
That 24-yard scamper against the Packers was a shock to everyone in Ford Field. It proved that while he isn't a "scrambler" by trade, he has the peripheral vision to see a massive lane when the defense over-commits to the pass.
Does He Actually Run in the Red Zone?
Historically, yes. During his time with the Rams, Sean McVay used Goff on the occasional naked bootleg. He had 4 rushing touchdowns in 2020 alone. Since moving to Detroit and working under Ben Johnson, those "designed" runs have mostly evaporated. Johnson prefers to use Goff's elite play-action fakes to freeze linebackers, opening up lanes for Amon-Ra St. Brown rather than asking Goff to put his 6'4" frame in harm's way.
It’s a trade-off. You trade 20 rushing yards for a 105.49 passer rating. Most coaches take that deal every single time.
Why the "Statue" Label is Half-True
If you watch the film from the 2025 season—specifically that Week 13 game against Dallas—you see something the stats don't capture. It’s called "functional mobility."
Goff is elite at the "subtle slide." He doesn't run 10 yards downfield; he moves six inches to the left. He climbs the pocket. He evades a blindside blitz from a defensive end by just stepping up. According to Next Gen Stats, Goff has been among the league leaders in "passing yards under pressure" over the last two seasons.
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He uses his legs to buy time, not to gain yards.
The Comparison Game
To put the jared goff rushing stats in perspective, you have to look at his peers.
- The Scramblers: Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts are essentially power backs who happen to throw. They'll give you 500-800 yards a year.
- The Escapists: Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow use their legs to extend plays and occasionally grab a first down.
- The Navigators: This is the Goff category. Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, and Jared Goff.
In 2025, Stafford (who many compare Goff to) actually put up bigger rushing numbers in a resurgent year, but Goff’s efficiency in the pocket remained higher. Goff's game is built on rhythm. If he starts running, the rhythm is broken. He knows that. The Lions know that.
Misconceptions About His Speed
Is he slow? Sorta. He ran a 4.82-second 40-yard dash at the Combine back in 2016. That’s faster than many realize—it's actually quicker than Patrick Mahomes' 4.80 (okay, barely slower, but you get the point). The difference is "twitch." Goff doesn't have that sudden, explosive burst to shake a linebacker in the open field.
He plays a calculated game. If the pass isn't there and the lane is open, he’ll take the five yards and slide. He is the king of the "safe slide." You rarely see Jared Goff take a big hit while running because he treats his body like a franchise investment.
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What This Means for Fantasy Owners
If you're looking at jared goff rushing stats for your fantasy roster, the advice is simple: ignore them. He is a "zero-floor" runner.
You aren't drafting him for the 40 yards he might get you over an entire month. You’re drafting him because he’s one of the few QBs left who can throw for 400 yards and 4 scores without needing to break a sweat. In 2025, he had nine finishes inside the top-6 fantasy QBs despite having almost no rushing production. That is incredibly hard to do. It requires near-perfect passing efficiency.
The Actionable Takeaway
Understanding Goff's mobility requires looking past the box score. Don't let a low rushing yardage total fool you into thinking he's a liability when the pocket breaks down.
- Watch the pocket movement: Instead of looking for scrambles, notice how often he avoids a sack by simply stepping forward.
- Account for the "Victory" tax: Subtract 3-5 yards from his season totals for every Lions win to see his "true" rushing impact.
- Value the "Long" run: When Goff does run (like his 24-yarder in 2025), it's usually because the defense has completely ignored him. It’s a situational weapon, not a primary one.
The Lions have built a system that doesn't need a mobile quarterback. They need a distributor. As long as Goff keeps delivering the ball with a 68% completion rate, his rushing stats will remain a quirky footnote in an otherwise Hall of Fame-caliber trajectory.
Keep an eye on his rushing attempts in the first half of games. If Ben Johnson calls a bootleg early, it’s usually a sign they’ve spotted a specific weakness in the opponent's contain-discipline. That’s the only time Goff's legs truly become a tactical threat.