The careers of Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford have been permanently linked ever since the Rams pulled off their blockbuster quarterback trade in 2021. Years later, that move continues to echo—especially during the most recent chapter of their rivalry.
In Detroit’s 41–34 loss to Los Angeles, Goff witnessed Stafford pass him on the Rams’ all-time passing yardage list. Stafford entered the matchup needing just 117 yards to overtake Goff and ended the game with 368, bringing his Rams total to 18,422 yards. The Rams quickly commemorated the milestone with a social media post highlighting Stafford’s rise past his former teammate.
Goff spent 69 games under center for the Rams, a mark Stafford exceeded the week prior. Earlier this season, Stafford also surpassed Goff in touchdown passes with the franchise. Goff now sits sixth on the Rams’ TD list, while Stafford has climbed to third. Stafford continues to close in on Rams legends as well, trailing Jim Everett by 5,336 passing yards and Roman Gabriel by 22 touchdown throws for the franchise lead. He’s also just two regular-season victories shy of passing Everett for second-most wins in team history. Gabriel remains first with 74 wins, while Goff finished his Rams tenure with 42.
Goff’s climb in Detroit remains a work in progress
Although his first year in Detroit was rocky, Goff has since delivered the most reliable and productive stretch of quarterback play the Lions have seen in the Super Bowl era—even rivaling Stafford’s peak years. Goff has now spent as many seasons with the Lions as he did with the Rams, though he’s appeared in ten more games for Detroit.
Despite the loss to Los Angeles, Goff performed well against his former team, throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. On the season, he ranks among the NFL’s top five in several categories: third in passing yards (3,672), second in touchdown passes (29), fourth in completion percentage (69.3%), and second in passer rating (110.4), while throwing just five interceptions. While Stafford edges him in most categories, Goff matches him in interceptions and holds the advantage in accuracy.
In terms of franchise production, Goff has already eclipsed his Rams-era totals since arriving in Detroit. He has more wins (47 vs. 42), more passing yards (20,559 vs. 18,171), and more touchdown passes (144 vs. 107). His efficiency metrics also stand out, with a completion rate nearly five percentage points higher and a passer rating over ten points better than his time in Los Angeles. Even so, Stafford’s lengthy tenure with the Lions still casts a large statistical shadow.
Stafford remains the Lions’ all-time leader in starts (165), wins (74), passing yards (45,109), and touchdown passes (282). Goff, through 79 starts, is only 27 wins behind but still trails by more than 24,000 yards and 138 touchdowns. Matching those numbers would likely require at least five additional seasons in Detroit.
Goff is currently under contract for three more years, with a potential team exit after two. If he plays out the deal, he’ll be 34—hardly old for a quarterback in today’s NFL. Recent examples of late-career success, including Stafford himself, reinforce the possibility of longevity. Lions general manager Brad Holmes has previously noted how difficult it is to upgrade at quarterback, suggesting that continuity could favor Goff if his level of play remains steady.
What comes next for Goff and Detroit remains uncertain. The league increasingly favors mobile quarterbacks, an area where Goff doesn’t excel, but few can rival his arm talent and consistency. As the Lions’ championship window narrows, attention will eventually shift toward the future of the position.
Should Goff remain in Detroit long enough to surpass Stafford’s franchise records, it would almost certainly mean he led the Lions to unprecedented success—solidifying his case as the greatest quarterback the franchise has ever had.
