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New Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has expressed excitement after being traded from the Los Angeles Rams along with two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick in exchange for QB Matthew Stafford. The 32-year-old Stafford had been Detroit's franchise quarterback for the entirety of his career, and this move is expected to bring significant shakeups to both offenses.
Goff had been Los Angeles' starter for a few seasons now after being drafted first overall in 2016, even taking the team to a Super Bowl, before ultimately losing. Goff's play had been increasingly streaky and inconsistent, and the young signal-caller has been dealing with injuries as of late, but the trade surprised many around the league.
Goff himself was one of those people surprised by the trade, with reports indicating that he had no prior knowledge of the deal, or that he was even being shopped to other teams as potential trade bait. Goff kept it classy in his remarks about his feelings on the topic of the abrupt trade, but his excitement seems to be as much about getting out of Los Angeles as it is about starting a new journey with Detroit.
How did Goff react to the trade?
Goff's comments remained positive, with the young quarterback saying "I'm excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me", indicating that his time in Los Angeles did not leave him with that impression.
Rams head coach Sean McVay never indicated to Goff that the team wanted to move on. Goff and Rams fans were caught off guard by the unanticipated trade, in light of the fact that Goff signed a four-year extension in 2018, seemingly solidifying his status as the long-term choice to lead Los Angeles.
While Goff declined to voice his displeasure with the manner in which he learned about Los Angeles' plans to move in a different direction, the less-than-straightforward approach that Rams management took when dealing him is certain to have left a bad taste in his mouth.
