There was a time not too long ago when it seemed Jared Goff .might be the future of the Los Angeles Rams.
Teamed up with the youngest head coach in the NFL, Sean McVay, after a rough start under Jeff Fisher, Goff posted his best numbers to that point in his career under McVay. However, following a Super Bowl loss in February 2019, things began to deteriorate in LA.
Soon after, the Rams made the surprising choice to trade Goff to the Detroit Lions, along with draft picks, in exchange for Matthew Stafford, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl, the Lions nearly made it, and both teams seem pleased with how the trade played out.
In a conversation on the Fitz & Whit Podcast, McVay admitted that, looking back, he probably could have done more to help Goff reach his potential, taking responsibility for the situation years later.
“When I look back on the Jared Goff situation, I feel like it could have been handled better on my part. In terms of the communication and the circumstances,” McVay said.
“You never know how things will turn out, but when you reflect and think, ‘I definitely had some growing to do,’ I could have done a better job for Jared. He deserved more respect and consideration in the way things were handled on my end. That was a mistake on my part, and you want to make sure, as you learn from your mistakes, you at least communicate more clearly.”
At the time, McVay, being younger than some of his players, was viewed as a rising star, and he probably wasn’t fully prepared to help a young quarterback transitioning from a non-powerhouse college program to the NFL.
He might have been able to ease up on his demanding offensive scheme to help Goff adjust, or even incorporated more elements of Goff’s college playbook to make his transition smoother.
Is Goff flawless? No, even now as a solid franchise quarterback in Detroit, he still has the occasional game that leaves fans scratching their heads. But Goff has shown a willingness to take coaching and has steadily improved over time.
If McVay had been more patient with Goff’s development, perhaps the Rams wouldn’t be seeking a new quarterback this offseason, regardless of what happens with Stafford.
