Jared Goff Trade Rumors: QB 'Had a Market,' Rams Took Calls Before Stafford Swap

Jared Goff will reportedly be traded to the Detroit Lions in the deal sending Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, but according to Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, "multiple teams" made calls to the Rams to inquire about Goff.

Per that report, "This wasn't some throw-in. The Lions wanted him. He had a market. Around [the] NFL, Goff is regarded well."

Goff doesn't seem to be particularly shaken up about the trade.

"I'm just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me," he told Michael Silver of NFL Network.

Things soured quickly between Goff and the Rams. He struggled in 2020, throwing for 3,952 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 15 games, completing 67 percent of his passes. After combining for 60 touchdowns and 19 interceptions between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Goff has put up 42 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in the last two. It's fair to argue he's regressed. 

And head coach Sean McVay didn't exactly offer him a vote of confidence after the season, calling him the "quarterback right now" in January and implying the team would have a quarterback competition in 2021 after heading into past seasons with Goff as the unquestioned starter. 

"I'd say, I think as you grow, as you continue to learn, that's just where we're at," McVay told reporters about the possibility of a quarterback competition. "I'm not saying anything other than we're evaluating that right now. I think it's important that you do that at every single spot and no position is excluded from that conversation."

Or as NFL Network's Steve Wyche reported after those comments in January, the relationship between McVay and Goff needed "marriage counseling." Instead, they got a divorce. 

It was a costly one. The Rams reportedly are giving up Goff, two first-round picks (2022, 2023) and a 2021 third-round pick in exchange for Stafford. Essentially, the Rams paid a premium to not only upgrade over Goff but to also get out from under his substantial contract. 

The Lions, meanwhile, will hope a change of scenery can return Goff to the Pro Bowl form he showcased in 2017 and '18. He already led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in 2018, though questions remain about just how much McVay—and Todd Gurley, who posted elite numbers for the Rams in Goff's Pro Bowl seasons and was one of the NFL's best offensive weapons before injuries slowed him down—contributed to the quarterback's best years.