When the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions meet in the NFC Wild Card playoff game on Sunday, they will make history.
The game will be the first time in postseason history that both starting quarterbacks – the Rams’ Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ Jared Goff – will face their old teams at the same time.
On January 30, 2021, two former quarterbacks faced their former teams at the same time for the first time in history. That’s when the Rams traded Goff, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL draft, as well as first-round draft picks in 2022 and 2023, as well as a third-round draft pick in 2021, to the Lions in exchange for Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft.
The Rams were eager to trade Goff despite the fact that he guided them to Super Bowl 53, where they were defeated by the New England Patriots 13-3. Goff’s relationship with Rams coach Sean McVay had deteriorated significantly two years later.
“Obviously, we had our differences there at the end,” Goff said to reporters on Wednesday.
McVay admitted he might have handled Goff’s last days and trade differently.
“When you decide to make a change, it can be difficult. Could I have handled things better on my end? Absolutely. “And I’m not going to run away from that,” McVay told reporters. “He deserved better than how it all turned out.” That is something I will acknowledge.”
The Rams reaped immediate benefits from the transaction. Stafford led the Rams to a 13-3 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56 during his debut season with the team.
Goff had a comeback season in 2023, guiding the Lions to a 12-5 record (tied for the most victories in franchise history) and the NFC North division title. Goff has a chance to assist the Lions earn a rare playoff victory, as they host their first home playoff game since beating the Green Bay Packers in a Wild Card playoff game in 1993.
The deal, which benefited both sides, has become a rarity in sports.
