Yahoo Finance Jared Goff on trade to Lions: Excited to be somewhere that 'wants me and appreciates me'
Jared Goff sounds happy to be a Detroit Lion.
Or, more specifically, he sounds happy to no longer be a Los Angeles Ram.
The Rams reportedly agreed to trade their former franchise quarterback along with a pair of first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions on Saturday in exchange for Matthew Stafford. The deal gives Stafford a chance to play for a franchise better equipped to compete for a championship.
It puts Goff in the NFL limbo of being a veteran quarterback with a big contract playing for a team in full rebuild mode. To Goff, that sounds better than his former position with the Rams.
“I'm just excited to be somewhere that I know wants me and appreciates me,” Goff told Michael Silver.
Rams’ investment in Goff doesn’t pay off
Prior to cutting bait Saturday, the Rams invested a ton in Goff. They spent the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft on the California quarterback with the hope he would become the face of the franchise as the team transitioned from St. Louis to Los Angeles.
After a pair of Pro Bowls and a trip to the Super Bowl after the 2018 season, the Rams signed Goff to a four-year contract extension worth $134 million with a then-record $110 million in guarantees.
Since then, Goff’s play has regressed. After throwing for 293 yards per game with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2018, Goff has averaged 277 yards per game while totaling 42 touchdowns and 29 interceptions over the course of the past two seasons.
He has looked considerably more like the quarterback of the team that scored three points in a Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots than the one who led an explosive offense that held up against the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2018 regular season.
Did chatter bother Goff?
The Rams realized the extension was a mistake. They were publicly open about Goff’s shaky status prior to Saturday’s deal. Head coach Sean McVay alluded to a quarterback competition next season after the Rams’ playoff exit. General manager Les Snead later referred to Goff’s status with the team as a “beautiful mystery.”
And now they’ve parted with a haul of draft picks to shed the contract and upgrade at the position.
For Goff, who saw the bold print writing on the wall, he’s happy to get a fresh start. Even if it comes with the moribund Lions.
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