Back in January 2021, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions completed a blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Stafford to L.A. and Jared Goff to the Motor City.
The trade is widely regarded as a win-win, with the Rams winning a Super Bowl and the Lions becoming a perennial contender after rebuilding around Goff. How did the quarterback swap come about? Let’s revisit the star-studded deal.
Why Did the Matthew Stafford-Jared Goff Trade Happen?
After spending the first 12 years of his NFL career in Detroit, Stafford ultimately requested a trade. In early 2020, Stafford and his wife, Kelly, started having conversations about a change of scenery.
“Anytime you switch GMs and a head coach, you know that they’re going to want to bring their own people in,” Stafford told the Free Press in 2021 when discussing why he requested a trade. “That’s going to take time. And I, frankly, didn’t feel like I was the appropriate person to oversee that time.”
Stafford has always made it clear that he loves and appreciates the Lions and the city of Detroit, but he realized that he needed to move on if he wanted to win a ring.
“I understand what the people of Detroit and what the city of Detroit meant to me and my time and my career, what they meant to my family, I hope they feel that back,” Stafford said prior to the Rams-Lions playoff matchup.
Stafford was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He threw for 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns throughout his time in Detroit, becoming arguably the most successful QB in franchise history.
Given the mutual respect between the two sides, the Lions agreed to facilitate a trade for Stafford. Detroit hadn’t won a playoff game since 1992, and a rebuild was on the horizon. Meanwhile, the Rams were in win-now mode.
While Los Angeles had advanced to one Super Bowl with Goff, they ultimately lost to the New England Patriots, and Goff was due for a big payday. The Rams signed Goff to a four-year, $134 million contract (with $110 million guaranteed). However, not long after inking him to that deal, the Rams started to explore a QB upgrade.
Goff-Stafford Trade Details
The Rams wanted to find a veteran quarterback who could help them contend for a championship, but Goff’s contract made that difficult. He was perceived as an average QB who was being paid like a star.
Enter the Lions.
Detroit was open to taking a flier on Goff since they had significant cap space, but they wanted to be compensated for taking on his big contract. Since Stafford had a no-trade clause in his contract, he had a say in where he landed, and he wanted to join the Rams.
The Rams agreed to send Goff and two first-round picks to the Lions in exchange for Stafford.
Lions received:
- QB Jared Goff
- CB Ifeatu Melifonwu (2021 third-round pick)
- WR Jameson Williams (2022 first-round pick)
- DL Josh Paschal (2022 second-round pick)
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs (2023 first-round pick)
- TE Sam LaPorta (2023 second-round pick)
- DT Brodric Martin (2023 third-round pick)
Rams received:
- QB Matthew Stafford
After Stafford was traded to the Rams, the veteran quarterback signed a four-year, $160 million contract that included a $60 million signing bonus and $130 million guaranteed. His average annual salary is $40 million, which ranks 15th among quarterbacks this season. For reference, Stafford is earning the same amount as New York Giants QB Daniel Jones.
Since the trade, the two QBs have posted similar stats, with Goff taking the slight edge. In 49 games, Stafford has thrown for 12,907 yards, 84 touchdowns, and 42 interceptions with a 65.7% completion percentage. In 57 games, Goff has thrown for 14,338 yards, 94 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions on a 67.2% completion percentage.
Despite Goff throwing for more yards and touchdowns since the move, it wouldn’t be fair to judge the trade based solely on those numbers.
To start with, the Rams traded for Stafford in an attempt to win a Super Bowl, which they achieved, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
Meanwhile, under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Goff has overperformed. Can Goff take Detroit to the promised land? That remains to be seen, but the Lions clearly believe in him, as they made him one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL this past offseason.