Goof on Goff? Sean McVay Regrets Handling of Los Angeles Rams Trade with Detroit Lions

Goof on Goff? Sean McVay Regrets Handling of Los Angeles Rams Trade with Detroit Lions Ahead of Playoff Showdown

Did the Los Angeles Rams goof on Goff?

Jared Goff spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, and achieved a level of success - a Super Bowl berth!

But there were conflicts, and after the 2020 season, the relationship between the quarterback and his head coach Sean McVay was not a positive one.

And now McVay - who will lead the Rams against the Detroit Lions and Goff as they will play on Sunday night in the NFL playoffs - is honestly expressing regrets over what happened next.

In part because of that conflict, before the 2021 season, McVay orchestrated a way to move on - and to upgrade the QB position - as the Rams traded Goff to Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford.

It worked out for everybody. Stafford's Rams won a Super Bowl. Goff is a centerpiece of a division-winning Lions team that is favored this weekend as the Lions on Sunday host L.A. in the NFC Wild Card round at Ford Field.

Sure, this is about Stafford going back to Detroit. But as McVay reflected on the Goff era, it's about how L.A. handed the deal, too.

"Could it have been handled better on my end?'' McVay said. "Absolutely. And I'll never run away from that. He deserved better than the way that it all went down. I'll acknowledge that. And I think he knows that, too.''

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During his five seasons with the Rams, Goff completed 63 percent of his passes for 18,171 yards, 107 touchdowns, 55 interceptions. He was, by most measures, a success. Oh, and he admits he still carries a chip on his shoulder regarding the whole mess.

Meanwhile, McVay is doing the right thing by making some concessions here ... and then moving forward.

"I'm not afraid to admit to those things,'' he said, "but I think we're all better being able to look back on those things. And I do have more appreciation for him as time goes on.''