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Jared Goff doesn’t think about it much anymore.
“It feels like a long time ago,” he told Detroit reporters this week.
Matthew Stafford hinted at the same during his weekly availability with Los Angeles reporters.
It’s been nearly five years since the Rams sent Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions in a blockbuster trade for Stafford. But as much as the two star quarterbacks — and former No. 1 picks in the draft — would like to politely leave it be, they forever will be linked in the greater football consciousness.
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Gary Klein breaks down what to watch for when the Rams take on the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
“It wasn’t an easy transition for anybody,” Stafford said. “You’re moving across the country. Your families are moving across the country, all those kind of things. You’re going to a new team, doing all of that.
“So I’ve got a ton of respect for him. And hopefully he feels the same way towards me.”
On Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Stafford and Goff will duel for the fourth time. The Rams beat the Lions at SoFi Stadium in 2021, but the Lions defeated the Rams in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs two seasons later at Ford Field and then beat them again in the same stadium in the 2024 season opener.
Who got the best end of the deal?
Stafford, 37, led the Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI in his first season and is on the verge of helping them clinch a playoff berth for the fourth time in five seasons with a performance that has made him a front-runner to win his first most valuable player award.
Goff, 31, has led the Lions to two playoff appearances, including the NFC championship game in 2023, and twice has been voted to the Pro Bowl.
So both have thrived. And this season they are statistically close.
Stafford has completed 288 of 432 passes for 3,354 yards and a league-best 35 touchdowns with four interceptions. Goff has completed 289 of 412 passes for 3,334 yards and 26 touchdowns with five interceptions.
The Rams (10-3) hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC and can clinch a playoff spot with a victory Sunday. The Lions (8-5) are battling for a playoff spot in the NFC North, chasing the No. 2-seeded Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) and the No. 7 Chicago Bears (9-4).
“Jared’s played really great,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I’ve been truly happy to see what he’s done and how he’s really put that team on his back and done such a great job of being able to build.”
Goff, of course, is in Detroit because McVay grew frustrated with him near the conclusion of the 2020 season — which ended with a divisional-round loss to the Packers — and Stafford became available after 12 seasons with the Lions.
Nearly half a decade has passed. But when asked about Goff, McVay does not miss an opportunity to remorsefully reference the clunky, impersonal way he handled the quarterback’s exit from Los Angeles.
“I’ve been very open and very clear about [how] I had a lot of growing up to do back when that thing went down,” McVay said. “There were a lot of great memories and a lot of really good ball that he did here that I’ll always cherish. I’m truly happy for him. He’s married and has a beautiful little girl now. It’s awesome to see.
“I think I’m reminded of those things and then you’re also reminded of when you need to be able to grow up and handle things a little bit better. I’ll never run away from that.”
Goff said he no longer feels an emotional charge when he plays against the Rams, citing the playoff game and last season’s opener.
“So now it’s even further removed,” he said.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has completed 289 of 412 passes for 3,334 yards and 26 touchdowns with five interceptions.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Stafford apparently feels the same about the Lions.
“When I flip the tape on, I don’t think about all the guys that I used to play with,” he said, “because hardly any of them are still playing on the team.”
Stafford said he follows many quarterbacks in the NFL, Goff among them.
“They’ve had a ton of success since he’s been there,” Stafford said. “He’s been a great part of that. I think he does as good a job as anybody getting the ball to his playmakers and letting those guys work.”
Goff also has monitored Stafford.
“He’s doing a good job,” Goff said. “And we do get some crossover tape here and there, and he’s one of those guys you like to watch on tape.”
After the game, as per custom in the NFL, the quarterbacks will seek out each other. The exchanges between Stafford and Goff have included “a ton of mutual respect,” Stafford said.
“The last couple times we played him, it’s been great battles all the way down to the end,” Stafford said. “He’s made some plays to help him win the game and shoot, I tip my cap to him.”