QB Jared Goff says being traded to Lions 'was the greatest thing that ever happened to me' 

In 2021, the Lions and Rams agreed to a trade that sent Jared Goff to Detroit and Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles.

Goff took over a team that hadn’t seen a winning record in three years, with low expectations surrounding his role. However, reflecting on that trade now, Goff can be satisfied with the outcome.

“In hindsight, (being traded to Detroit) was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, for my career and my development as a human,” Goff said on the Trading Cards podcast, per the Detroit Free Press.

Following a challenging initial season with the Lions that resulted in only three victories, the team made rapid progress. The subsequent two seasons hinted at a potentially successful future. In 2022, the Lions recorded a 9-8 score and secured the second spot in the NFC North. This was also the year when Goff was selected for the Pro Bowl for the third time. In 2023, the Lions made an even more impressive comeback.

Contrary to what some might have anticipated from Goff upon his initial arrival in Detroit, he was prepared to confront the challenge ahead of him.

“Many people believe it’s like being sent to a place where one’s career dies, but I would never let that happen,” Goff said. “I’m lucky to have the support of some great coaches and players in Detroit, who help me to reach my full potential.”

Detroit ended the 2023 season with a 12-5 record, at the top of its division and with the NFC’s No. 3 seed in the playoffs. During Super Wild Card Weekend, Goff and the rest of the team had the opportunity to win the franchise its first playoff game in 32 years, and they did. Goff beat his old club, theRams, but he was not done there. After that, Detroit would go on to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round, losing finally to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Goff threw for 4,575 yards, 30 touchdowns and had a career-high 67.3 completion percentage during the season.

Goff, aged 29, rapidly emerged as a leader for the Lions offense and within the city of Detroit. He acknowledged this and discussed how this environment has been beneficial for him.

Goff stated, “I have simply aged and become more at ease with my voice. I believe there was a sense of empowerment in Detroit with Dan (Campbell) and many of the coaches and individuals there. They would say to me, ‘Dude no. You take the lead. This is your responsibility, you figure it out,’ a sentiment that wasn’t always present in my early career.”

As Goff progresses in the system and the Lions prepare for a new season, only time will determine if this is the year they finally succeed.