Jared Goff 'Happy' For Rams' Super Bowl Win; But Should He Be?
Former Rams quarterback Jared Goff was on the cusp of greatness just three years removed from being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft.
A matchup with the legendary Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the 2018 Super Bowl served as an opportunity for the budding passer to stamp his name in NFL history with a Rams team primed to dominate over the next few seasons.
But fast forward to Feb. 2022, and it's the Rams and coach Sean McVay, not Goff, who captured redemption from the 2018 Super Bowl loss with a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals for the franchise's first championship since 2000.
Of course, Goff was traded by the Rams to Detroit in one of the biggest deals of the 2021 offseason that sent the 27-year-old, first-round picks in '22 and '23, and a 2021 third-round pick to the Lions for veteran QB Matthew Stafford.
Goff admitted he's 'happy' for his former team and Stafford. But put yourself in his shoes. Should he be?
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
“Most of all, I’m happy for those guys because I know how hard they’ve worked, and they deserve it,” Goff said a week prior to the Super Bowl. “Of course, as a human, you feel like you can be missing out at times. But I think about, if I was in that situation, how would they feel about me? They’d be equally as thrilled for me."
Stating he's happy for his former team is an expected answer and definitely doesn't take away from its sincerity. But considering his roots, it's not hard to imagine Goff feeling betrayed by a team he seemed destined to lead.
Goff is a native of Navato, Calif., and set 26 school records during his three-year career at Cal-Berkley. With the Rams officially making the move back to Los Angeles in 2016, he became the first pick for a team in a marquee market in his home state.
Too good to be true?
With a rising coach like McVay, Goff seemed ready to lead the Rams as a young pocket-passer with poise, a decent arm, and dependable size. Los Angeles signed him to a four-year, $134 million extension following his rookie deal, proving they were all in.
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a touchdown pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp (not pictured) against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
But despite quarterbacking the Rams to the Divisional Round last season, McVay wanted an upgrade and got it with Stafford.
"I’ve always been a huge fan of Matthew’s as a player and as a person,” Goff said. "You root for people like that. It’s impossible not to. And it’s impossible not to root for good things to happen to good people.”
Stafford was sent to LA with the vision that he could help lead a Super Bowl run, as similar expectations were once plentiful for Goff given his appearance in the big game and the contract extension. It's hard to blame a team for making moves with winning in mind though, especially when it pays off as it did for the Rams and general manager Les Snead.
The trade likely stings Goff, whether he'd like to admit it or not. With the past behind him, the only way is up.
“It’s something that you wish you could be a part of in your own right with the Lions, but we’re not right now — and watching them do it is just another part of the journey," he said.
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