Nearly half a decade after the Los Angeles Rams stunned Jared Goff by sending him to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford, the two quarterbacks are set to collide again—this time with both franchises thriving and both passers seemingly at peace with where that blockbuster move led them.

It’s unusual for a trade of that magnitude to leave every side satisfied, especially one that unfolded as abruptly and awkwardly as the Rams’ decision to move on from Goff. Coach Sean McVay has often reflected on how clumsily the whole situation was handled, even though it ultimately resulted in a Super Bowl title.

“I had a lot of maturing to do back then,” McVay said this week. “Jared gave us a lot of great football, and I genuinely appreciate that. He’s built a great life for himself, and I’m really happy for him. But that whole experience taught me a lot about how I need to handle things. I’ll never dodge that. I’m thankful he’s shown so much grace toward me.”

While McVay didn’t explicitly revisit the trade while preparing for Sunday’s matchup between his 10–3 Rams and the 8–5 Lions, there’s little doubt he’d make the same choice again—just with a better bedside manner.

Stafford rewarded the Rams immediately with a championship, and at age 37 he’s playing some of his best football. With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal, he’s in the thick of the MVP discussion. Adams is enjoying things so much that he’s jokingly suggested his own retirement might hinge on Stafford’s future.

Although Stafford and his wife continue their charitable work in Detroit, he admits the emotional ties have faded over time.

“I still respect the organization a ton,” Stafford said, “but when I put on the game film, I don’t think about old teammates. Hardly any of them are even still there.”

Goff, meanwhile, has been a stabilizing force for Detroit, guiding the franchise through its most successful period since the 1950s. Thanks to the haul of draft picks from the trade, the Lions built much of their core—including standouts like Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta.

“It feels like a win for us,” coach Dan Campbell said. “And I’m sure they’d say the same.”

Both quarterbacks expressed mutual respect this week and admitted they occasionally analyze each other’s game tape. Stafford has the bigger counting stats—3,534 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only four interceptions—but Goff boasts a stronger completion rate and more yards per attempt.

Goff says any bitterness about the trade is long gone. The Rams, he said, feel like any other opponent now—especially with playoff consequences dominating his focus.

“That playoff game in 2024 was such a big moment,” Goff said. “The next time we faced them, it already felt more distant. Now it’s even further in the past. They’re a really good team, and we have a tough matchup ahead.”

Thanks to a mix of scheduling quirks and that postseason meeting, Sunday’s game will mark the fourth time these teams have squared off in five seasons—the most frequent their paths have crossed since the early 1980s.

Detroit’s defense enters this contest battered. Hard-hitting safety Brian Branch was recently lost to an Achilles injury. Cornerback Terrion Arnold remains on injured reserve. Kerby Joseph has missed two months with a knee issue. And Thomas Harper, Joseph’s fill-in, suffered a concussion in last week’s win over Dallas.

To patch the holes, the Lions added experienced defensive backs Arthur Maulet and Damontae Kazee in hopes of stabilizing a depleted secondary.

This weekend also features a clash of elite offenses. Detroit leads the league in scoring despite their injury attrition, while Los Angeles has topped 20 points in 11 of its past 12 outings. Gibbs has become nearly impossible to contain, particularly in the passing game.

The second-year star caught all seven of his targets for 77 yards and a score against Dallas. He posted 11 receptions against the Giants last month and racked up 107 receiving yards in Philadelphia. His recent surge places him in rare company: only LaDainian Tomlinson (2006) and Priest Holmes (2002) have matched his blend of rushing and receiving production in a five-game span.

Through 13 games, Gibbs has joined another exclusive club—he’s just the seventh player in league history, and the first since former Rams standout Todd Gurley, to surpass 1,500 yards from scrimmage with at least 13 rushing touchdowns and three receiving scores to that point in a season.