Jared Goff Opens Up on Trade from Rams to Lions: Everyone 'Assumed That I Suck'

Jared Goff was well aware of the narratives that surrounded his trade from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions in 2021.

"Everyone externally just assumed that I suck," the veteran quarterback said to The Athletic's Michael Silver. "Because why else would this be happening? People thought, 'He's done. He's damaged goods. His story is over. His career will end in this way. This will be the end of the road.'"

The idea that Goff's career was basically "over" was probably a bit of a stretch, but the trade undoubtedly came at a low point in his career.

In 2018, Goff reached his second straight Pro Bowl and helped the Rams win an NFC title. By 2020, his performance had noticeably regressed and the $134 million extension he had signed a year earlier looked like a massive overpay.

When the Lions made the swap, they were embarking on a rebuild. The Athletic's Chris Burke wrote at the time how the team "could view this as a one-, maybe two-year arrangement with Goff." Detroit would bide its time until it drafted its quarterback of the future.

Instead, Goff eventually reasserted himself as a top-tier passer in the Motor City. He eclipsed 4,000 passing yards in 2022 and 2023 and had 59 touchdowns over that span. Within the locker room, he has emerged as a vocal leader too.

The 30-year-old credited Lions head coach Dan Campbell for continuing to display faith in him.

"I think there were moments where Dan could have turned his back on me," Goff said to Silver. "He was the head coach on a team that was 0-10-1, and then at the end of the season we were 3-13-1. Could've done it then; could've done it in the middle of that first season; could've done it the next year when we were 1-6 to start. And he never did. And I'm thankful for that."

The Lions have emerged as a Super Bowl contender with Goff at the helm, while he got a $212 million extension as a result of his career renaissance. It has been quite the turnaround for the two parties.