Lions' Jared Goff: Rams Trade Was 'Greatest Thing That Ever Happened to Me'

The Los Angeles Rams abruptly ended the Jared Goff era in March 2021 when they traded the quarterback to the Detroit Lions for Matt Stafford.

It was a tough blow for Goff, who admitted in January to still having a chip on his shoulder from the deal. However, he also noted on the Trading Cards podcast last Monday that the trade was "the greatest thing" that ever happened to him as well.

"In hindsight, (being traded to Detroit) was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, for my career and my development as a human," Goff said on the Trading Cards podcast, via Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press.

The Lions are coming off a 12-5 season and an NFC Championship Game appearance where they fell just short to the San Francisco 49ers. Goff has led the way, so things obviously worked out well for him.

At the time Goff was traded, the Lions were far away from the playoffs. They were coming off the end of the disastrous Matt Patricia era, winning just 14 games over the past three years.

But a breath of fresh air arrived in the form of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell. Their biggest task to start was addressing Stafford's trade request. That led to Goff's arrival.

It was undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow for Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He had just helped lead the Rams to an NFC title game appearance in 2018 and earned Pro Bowl appearances in 2017 and 2018. The 2019 and 2020 seasons were not as successful, but Goff was still a success with the Rams.

However, the team went in another direction, ending his tenure there after five years.

But it's working out well for Goff, who is carving his own legacy in Detroit. He helped take the Lions as close as they've ever been to a Super Bowl appearance, and he's been fantastic over the past two seasons, throwing for 59 touchdowns (to just 19 interceptions) and 9,013 yards. The Lions look primed to stay Super Bowl contenders in 2024 and beyond, and Goff is a big part of that resurgence.