The reason the Lions decided to trade Matthew Stafford in exchange for Jared Goff.

Billy Heyen

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Why Lions traded Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff image

TL;DR

  • Jared Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford in January 2021.
  • The Lions used draft picks from the trade to acquire Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta.
  • Matthew Stafford led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl victory in his first season.
  • Jared Goff's development with the Lions has been positive, making the trade successful.

It was a very rare type of trade.

When the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions agreed to the deal in January of 2021, there hadn't been a whole lot like it.

It was one starting QB for another, Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford.

Four-plus years later, it has aged in a fascinating way.

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Details of the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford trade

The trade went down in January 2021:

Rams received

  • QB Matthew Stafford

Lions received

  • QB Jared Goff
  • 2022 first-round pick
  • 2023 first-round pick
  • 2021 third-round pick

Through several additional trades, Detroit utilized those selections to acquire Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams, and several valuable defensive players.

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The Detroit Lions exchanged Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff.

The Lions' decision to rebuild was aided by the draft picks they acquired in exchange for Stafford.

It still meant giving up on a franchise legend.

Goff's development as a QB in Detroit has been positive, making that aspect of the trade successful, and acquiring Gibbs, LaPorta, and Williams in addition is a significant gain.

Stafford, of course, led the Rams to a Super Bowl in his first season. There's no replacing that.

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Senior Editor