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

Nov 23, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws passes during pregame warmups before their game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field.

When the Los Angeles Rams shipped quarterback Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions in 2021, some thought it meant his days as a starter were numbered. While Goff went 42-27 with offensive guru Sean McVay and played in a Super Bowl, the Rams still decided to go in a different direction. In Detroit, Goff joined a franchise that had registered three straight losing seasons, and hadn’t made the playoffs in five. Fast forward to 2024, and Goff is the unquestioned QB1 while the Lions are viewed as a legitimate contender.

In 2023, the Lions won their first division title since 1993, and won their first playoff game since 1991 — which actually came against Goff’s former team in the Rams. Detroit tied a franchise record for wins with 12, and set a record for most 30-point games with nine. During a recent appearance on the Trading Cards podcast, Goff said that being traded to Detroit changed his life for the better.

“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, via NFL.com.

This past season, Goff completed a career-high 67.3% of his passes for 4,575 yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to snap decade-long playoff win droughts for two different teams, and the 10th starting quarterback to reach the conference championship game with multiple franchises.

“Being shipped off and being sent to a place to die, essentially, is what a lot of people think it was, and I was never going to allow that to happen,” Goff said. “I’m fortunate enough to be around a lot of good coaches and players in Detroit that support me and help me reach my potential.”

In just 48 games, Goff has already become the fifth-leading passer in franchise history with 12,258 yards. He also ranks fifth in passing touchdowns with 78, and has the sixth-most wins with 24. The Lions have gone from one of the worst teams in the league to a franchise expected to compete for a Super Bowl, and Goff has played a large part in the turnaround.