'Confusing & Difficult': Rams Ex Jared Goff Opens Up About Lions Trade
On March 18, 2021, the NFL world went under a blockbuster trade, as Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff was sent to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford.
Goff recently opened up to his teammate, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Chicago Bears receiver Equanimeous St. Brown about how the trade affected him two years later.
"It was definitely a hard time because I wasn't aware that it could be a possibility and something (the front office) was thinking about." Goff said during The 33rd Team podcast on Wednesday. "I wish there would've been some conversations that weren't had. It was confusing and difficult on and off the field."
Goff explained that he saw the trade "as a great opportunity to start somewhere near the ground and spearhead the buildup," since the Lions were among the worst teams in the league at the time.
The Rams couldn't have done better in 2021-22, as Stafford helped lead them to their first Super Bowl victory since the 1999-2000 season. On the other hand, Goff and the Lions had just three wins.
Goff revealed his thoughts of the Rams during their Super Bowl run and the game itself against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"It was conflicting because I was so close to so many of those players, but at the same time, there's that part of you deep down that says 'I don't want you to win without me,'" Goff said. "However, the friendships I had with them overwhelmed that feeling and I wanted them to win."
Stafford and the Rams struggled last season as they finished with a 5-12 record, while Goff and the Lions went 9-8. Goff explained how the Rams' Super Bowl got him and the Lions back on track in 2022.
"Seeing them win lit that competitive fire in me to get my own now," Goff said. "I think we're in a place now where we can go out and compete."
Now, the shoe is on the other foot, with the Rams not expected to come anywhere near the Lombardi Trophy, while Detroit is aiming for the NFC North division title and beyond.
