Jared Goff has successfully transformed the Detroit Lions into legitimate Super Bowl contenders—following the blockbuster trade in January 2021. Still, that Goff-for-Matthew Stafford swap continues to linger in his mind.
The Lions quarterback recently opened up about the deal that rocked the NFL, sharing that he felt “betrayed” by the Los Angeles Rams and head coach Sean McVay.
Goff reflected on the moment in the new season of Netflix’s “Quarterback,” now streaming. He didn’t hold back when recalling the unexpected call from McVay.
“Three weeks after the final game, I get a call from Sean and had no clue what was coming,” he says. “He tells me they’re trading me to Detroit, and I’m just like, ‘Whoa, what? What’s happening?’”
Goff also revealed that he saw news of the trade spread rapidly on Twitter. He added that he felt deeply let down by the organization.
“You feel betrayed, like you’re not wanted. For me, it was the fact that there was no conversation. Not even a, ‘Hey, we might move on.’ Nothing,” Goff said. “You wish it wasn’t a blindside. You wish there was maturity, a chance to talk it out, and an explanation of how and why it happened.”
McVay has since acknowledged he mishandled the situation—specifically how fast he acted and his lack of directness with Goff.
I n the end, Goff has arguably won the Rams-Lions storyline, defeating L.A. twice—most notably in the 2023 playoffs, ending Detroit’s long postseason drought.