The Los Angeles Rams secured a Super Bowl victory in 2021 with Matthew Stafford at quarterback, but did the Detroit Lions ultimately win the trade? It might sound strange and you might disagree, but could the Lions be the real winners of this deal?
Recently, Jared Goff signed a significant contract extension, ensuring his long-term commitment to Detroit.
The contract is valued at $53 million per year, making it the second-highest in the NFL behind Joe Burrow on a per-year basis. Additionally, the former Rams quarterback is now committed to the Lions through the 2028 season, which will be his age-34 season. Before the 2021 NFL season, the Rams traded Goff to the Lions in a package deal to acquire Matthew Stafford.
While Stafford might be a slightly better quarterback and the Rams did win a Super Bowl in his first season, which justified trading those first-round picks, it’s clear that in the long run, the Rams lost. Stafford is approaching his age-36 season, whereas Goff is entering his age-30 season.
Goff not only has six years of youth on Stafford, but he’s also secured through the 2026 season, which will be his age-38 season. The Lions have a much better long-term situation at quarterback, giving them a significant advantage over the Rams, which is the downside of the Rams’ deal.
As soon as this offseason, the Rams may need to work hard to find a long-term quarterback solution, and given the low success rate of drafting quarterbacks, they might need some luck. Additionally, the Lions boast a highly talented young roster, with their front office led by GM Brad Holmes, a former Rams executive, proving to be among the best in the NFL.
While the Rams did win a Super Bowl, something the Lions never came close to achieving with Matthew Stafford, by winning that battle, they may have lost the war.
