Jared Goff isn’t pretending this week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams comes without storylines. It’s his second time returning to face the team that drafted him No. 1 overall, the organization that traded him away, and the quarterback he was dealt for — Matthew Stafford. And yet, Goff insists the matchup no longer carries the emotional weight it once did.

Despite owning a winning record against Sean McVay, the Rams, and Stafford, the Lions quarterback made it clear that this year’s meeting is more about two playoff-bound teams colliding than any lingering personal history.

Goff Downplays the Personal Angle

Goff, who led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance before they moved on from him after the 2020 season, is now well into his fourth year with Detroit. At 31, he says enough time has passed that the trade no longer stirs up strong feelings.

Asked whether the game still fuels him emotionally, Goff responded, “Not so much anymore.”

“It feels like a long time ago,” he told reporters on December 10. “I’ve been here long enough now that this feels like home. That playoff game against them was a big deal, then the next year it felt smaller, and now it’s even further removed.”

Goff emphasized that the Rams remain a formidable opponent and that Detroit expects a tough challenge.

This is the latest point in the regular season that the two teams have met since the 2003 campaign. Their first post-trade matchup came early in the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, and last year’s took place in Week 1.

Goff’s Tone Has Softened Since His Earlier Comments

Goff’s measured stance today contrasts with how he spoke about the trade in the Netflix series “Quarterback.” In that episode, he described feeling blindsided when McVay called to tell him he was being moved.

He recalled learning of the trade and then seeing it reported online moments later:
“You feel like you’re unwanted… There wasn’t a conversation beforehand — no ‘hey, we’re thinking of going in a different direction.’ It was a shock.”

Goff said the moment was his first real encounter with major adversity and that it felt like his career had been thrown into uncertainty.

Now, though, he focuses on the present and even hopes it turns into a long-term rivalry between two talented teams.

“I have a ton of respect for those guys,” Goff said. “Their defense looks great on film — Coach Shula’s doing a really good job. We know what they can do offensively, too. Matthew’s playing great. We’ve got to be ready.”

Goff also praised Stafford directly.

“He’s playing at a really high level,” Goff said, noting that he enjoys watching Stafford’s tape, especially during crossover film study.

McVay, for his part, told reporters he’s happy for Goff’s growth and admitted he wishes he had handled their final months together more thoughtfully.