Matthew Stafford Opens Up About Facing Detroit Lions

Ex-Detroit Lions passer Matthew Stafford is happy to see his former team flourishing.

Earlier this week on the “Let's Go!” podcast with longtime reporter Jim Gray, the L.A. Rams signal-caller reflected on what it means to face the Lions – the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2009, relied heavily on him for 12 seasons and ultimately moved on from him.

In the conversation, Stafford, who has emerged as one of the frontrunners for this season’s NFL MVP award, didn’t shy away from the overwhelming narrative that has followed the 2021 blockbuster trade: that both the Rams and the Lions won the deal.

“Obviously, I'm happy to be where I am, and I feel like the Lions obviously have capitalized on a lot of the picks and players that they were able to acquire in that trade," Stafford told Gray. "Their franchise is as good as it's been, ever, in the last handful of years.

“So, two successful teams, really good coaches, good football programs at the moment, and, yeah, it looks like one that both sides got what they were looking for out of it. And I think as time goes on, we'll keep looking back on it saying the same thing because it seems to have worked out for both teams.”

It’s hard to argue with that sentiment.

Jared Goff, originally viewed as a throw-in in the franchise-altering trade, has experienced a career resurgence in the Motor City, and has keyed Detroit's transformation into a winning football team.

The Lions went from 1-6 at the halfway point in 2022 to a 9-8 team by season's end. They then followed that up with a 12-5 record and an NFC North title in 2023 and a franchise-best 15-2 mark and a second consecutive division crown in 2024. And Goff has had his fingerprints all over the franchise's return to relevance.

Along with acquiring Goff, the Lions also attained several valuable draft assets as part of the blockbuster deal— notably first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 — which turned into franchise cornerstones Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams. Those players, like Goff, have served as integral pieces in Detroit’s rise to prominence.

Meanwhile, Stafford delivered immediately on the Rams’ vision for him, guiding Sean McVay’s team to a Super Bowl victory in his debut season with the franchise.

Fast-forward to the 2025 campaign, and Stafford – now 37 years old – is playing some of the best football of his career. He’s thrown for an NFL-leading 35 touchdowns and the fourth-most yards in the league (3,354). Plus, he’s recorded the fifth-best QBR (68.8).

As for whether Stafford feels like Detroit wasted his prime years, he dismissed the notion entirely.

“No, because we were all trying,” the longtime NFL passer said. “And sometimes it just doesn’t work. We had some years that were good and thought we had some things going, and we had some other years that were obviously not up to par.”

His comments reflect the same high degree of professionalism he displayed throughout the entirety of his Lions tenure.

Stafford set a variety of franchise records during his time with the Lions, including throwing for 282 touchdowns and 45,109 yards in 165 total games. Yet, the organization enjoyed very little success during his stint in Detroit. The Lions made just three playoff appearances, and failed to win a single playoff game.

Despite that being the case, Stafford continues to refuse to engage in finger-pointing for why things went awry.

“I was just another guy who was in that building doing everything they could to try and help us win, and it didn't happen,” he said. “But, my career was no more important than anybody else's that was out there working their tail off for us to be good."

Stafford and the NFC-leading Rams (10-3) are set to square off with the Lions Sunday at 4:25 p.m. EST at SoFi Stadium.

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