When the two teams joined via trade in 2021, Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions were a pair that didn’t seem like they would end up on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
But since the L.A. Rams made the decision to enhance their quarterback situation by selling two first round picks and a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback for Matthew Stafford, three seasons and one NFC Championship game later, Goff and the Lions have experienced both terrible and shockingly excellent times.
Following the deal, Stafford’s Rams won their first Super Bowl together right away. Many people believe that the Lions are the NFC’s top pick to win the fourth Super Bowl following the transaction.
Writers Greg Bishop and Conor Orr collaborated on a piece for Sports Illustrated that focused on how Brad Holmes, the general manager of the Lions and a former executive with the Rams, has turned the team from a laughingstock to a real contender for the Super Bowl entering his fourth season in office.
An endeavor that, astonishingly, might not be feasible if Goff isn’t brought back to Detroit via trade; Goff claims that this indication motivated him to search within for what had been absent from him since being selected first overall in 2016:
And there it was, a franchise in desperate need of a makeover, at an early turning point. Excitement was a sound that Goff had not heard in a long time. The Lions’ management was thrilled to have him. Goff remarks, “I hadn’t felt that way in quite some time.”
We have an opportunity to do something remarkable here, he told himself, reflecting on the difference between how things had ended with the Rams. Will this be a simple task? No. Will it take place? Certainly? No. But at least they had a chance, and he did too.
The Rams’ greatest significant loss in 2021 was undoubtedly watching Holmes develop into possibly the best general manager prospect in the NFL at the moment. It’s not like the Rams would have fired Les Snead (though some fans still hope that will happen) and promoted Brad Holmes unless things were very bad, but it appears obvious today that the Lions hired Brad Holmes, possibly the best move they made in the Super Bowl period.
Following his hiring as general manager, Holmes has added the following players through the draft, including the deal for Goff and two first round picks for Stafford, who had sought to be traded regardless: DT Alim McNeill, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, TE Sam LaPorta, RB Amon-Ra St. Brown, LB Jack Campbell, DB Brian Branch, WR Jameson Williams, S Kerby Joseph, S Ifeatu Melifonwu, rookie CB Terrion Arnold, DT Levi Onwuzurike, and quarterback Hendon Hooker are all listed.
G Graham Glasgow, G Kevin Zeitler, RB David Montgomery, DT D.J. Reader, DE Marcus Davenport, LB Alex Anzalone, and CB Carlton Davis were traded for by the Lions in the free agency class. The Lions extended Goff’s contract earlier in the offseason, giving him a $53 million annual salary.
Additionally, the Lions have persuaded star offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to stay on and complete the task of winning a Super Bowl before he accepts a head coaching position elsewhere. It’s possible that Johnson hasn’t received any strong offers yet, but that seems unlikely given Detroit’s top-5 offense over the previous two seasons.
Goff and the Lions have come a long way thanks in large part to the Rams. The Rams will also be the ones to ensure that the Lions do not advance to the Super Bowl if they have their way in the 2024 playoffs.
