Jared Goff helped the Rams win the NFC and signed a massive contract extension in the past two years, but soon Los Angeles will only be in his past.
The Rams agreed to trade Goff to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford and three future draft picks, a deal that cannot become official until the NFL league year begins March 17.
Goff saw, and heard, the writing on the wall from the Rams starting in late December through the end-of-season press conference in which coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead indicated repeatedly that their QB position was wide open.
“As the quarterback, as the guy that’s at arguably the most important position on the field, if you’re in a place that you’re not wanted and they want to move on from you, the feeling’s mutual,” Goff told the Los Angeles Times. “You don’t want to be in the wrong place. It became increasingly clear that was the case. (The trade) is something that I’m hopeful is going to be so good for my career.”
Goff, 26, said he is trying not to let the “sour” ending with McVay spoil the big games and big production they shared in winning the NFC West twice and reaching Super Bowl LIII.
But when he talked to the new decision-makers in Detroit, general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, about the pending trade, Goff said he had a revelation.
“(Talking to the Lions) is what made me go, ‘Oh my god, this is how it’s supposed to feel.’ This makes me feel great, how excited they were, how fired up they were,” Goff said in an NFL Network interview.
Stafford, 33, has two years and $43 million remaining on his contract. He is a longtime acquaintance of McVay’s through a mutual high school competitor — Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach Chad Hall.
Hall and McVay were high-profile rivals in high school. Hall’s sister, Kelly, married Stafford.
Last week, McVay and Stafford had dinner in Mexico as the deal was being completed.
“Regardless of how it ended, me and Sean had a great relationship and did so many great things together,” Goff said. “Won a bunch of big games. Won a bunch of playoff games. Won two divisions together. Having so much success on the offense, so many good times and memories.”
–Field Level Media
