Detroit Lions trade Matthew Stafford to the LA Rams for Jared Goff and multiple picks in blockbuster NFL quarterback trade

In an inter-conference trade, the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams swapped quarterbacks in a shock NFL deal that sees Matthew Stafford heading to LA and Jared Goff go the other way.

The move also sees the Rams send their 2022 and 2023 first-round pick in 2022 and 2023, plus a 2021 third-round pick.

The Lions had been rumoured for weeks that they were looking to trade away Stafford, with newly appointed head coach Dan Campbell stating on Saturday: ‘It’s pretty hot and heavy right now. We’ve got quite a few offers.’

Stafford was the first overall pick of the 2009 draft and started all 16 games in nine of his 12 seasons as a Lion. He holds Detroit’s franchise records for yards, touchdowns, completions, attempts and was selected as the comeback player of the year in 2011.

For the Rams, there had been heavy criticism of Goff’s play over the last two years, with many calling the first overall pick in 2016 a bust. After 16 interceptions in 2019 and 13 last season; the general consensus was that Goff was stopping them from winning a Super Bowl.

The most surprising element of the trade was the addition of two first-round picks to Detroit as it shows the Rams are clearly pushing all of their chips to try and win a Super Bowl next year. With giving away the 2022 and 2023 first rounders, Los Angeles will not have their own pick in seven years – with Goff being their last first-round pick.

Per Peter Schrager on Twitter: ‘Stafford wanted to play for [Sean] McVay and be in LA. Lions did him right in the end. There were other offers. Very good ones, too.

‘Detroit and Rams front offices both knew that this was the trade that made all parties happiest – teams, player, coach.’

The Lions had seven or eight serious offers which all included first-round picks, per Dave Birkett. However, Rams head coach McVay asked the Rams general manager Les Snead to make it happen. 

The Rams will inherit the two years, $43million (£34.4m) remaining on Stafford’s contract with the Lions carrying a $17.8m (£13m) penalty in 2021 for trading him.

The Lions inherit four years, $106.6m (£77.8m) remaining on Jared Goff’s contract with the Rams carrying a $22.2m (£16.2m) dead cap penalty in 2021.

By Charlie Parker