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Lindsey ThiryESPN
Quarterback Jared Goff says he is ready to move on in the aftermath of a blockbuster trade that took him from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions.
“As a quarterback, as the guy who has arguably the most important position on the field, if you’re in a place where you’re not wanted and they want to move on, then the feeling is mutual,” Goff told the Los Angeles Times. ‘You don’t want to be in the wrong place. It became increasingly clear that this was the case. ‘
On Saturday, the Rams traded Goff, along with two first-round picks and a third-round pick, to the Lions in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Goff, the # 1 pick in the 2016 draft, told the Los Angeles Times he wasn’t sure when the Rams decided he wouldn’t be a part of their future.
“That’s the hard part trying to figure out now, when did that happen?” Goff said. ‘Those are all conversations I may or may not have, and try to figure it out. That’s the conversation you need to have. ‘
After a late-season loss to the Green Bay Packers in a divisional playoff game, Rams coach Sean McVay was asked if Goff was the quarterback. “Yeah, he’s our quarterback now,” McVay said.
Ten days later, Rams general manager Les Snead would not commit to Goff’s long-term future with the team during a video conference, telling reporters, “Jared Goff is an Aries right now. So, what’s the date? January 26th. “
Neither the Rams nor the Lions can publicly comment on the transaction until it is official at the start of the new competition year on March 17.
After McVay’s arrival in 2017, Goff led the Rams to consecutive division titles, an NFC Championship, and a Super Bowl LIII appearance, earning Pro Bowl recognition twice.
Before the 2019 season, Goff signed a $ 134 million four-year extension that guaranteed $ 110 million.
However, the attack went back in 2019 and continued its downward turn last season despite a 10-6 finish and a wildcard playoff win. Goff finished his last season in LA, passing for 3,952 yards and 20 touchdowns with 13 interceptions.
In four seasons with McVay, Goff had 42 wins, tied with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, and second only to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady during that period.
But as of 2019, Goff is ranked second in the NFL with 38 sales.
After the trade, Goff said he overcame an initial sense of disappointment and became aroused after reaching out to the Lions staff, including general manager Brad Holmes, the former director of scouting for the Rams who had a voice in drafting Goff.
“You start to feel, I don’t want to say ‘relief’ is the word, but you start to feel happy, grateful and ready for another chance,” said Goff. “That is the greatest feeling that came over me that night, and even in the days after.”
After playing in LA for five seasons, Goff said he wouldn’t let a disappointing ending tarnish his lasting memories.
“Obviously, the ending was neither favorable nor fun,” said Goff. “ But they wrote me # 1 overall and took me to a city that hasn’t had a football team for a long time, as part of that post-2016 rebuild, to be able to bring LA football back to the forefront, all that. things that I am extremely proud of. It is something that I will always remember. “