According to ESPN, the quarterback for the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford, is traded with quarterback Jared Goff to become a part of the Los Angeles Rams.
This is the first exchange that is taking place concerning two former No. 1 overall picks. The Lions will be getting Jared Goff in 2021 for the third-round pick, followed by a first-round pick in 2022 and 2023. The deal has not been officially approved and will be pending until the new league year begins on March 17.
According to the Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, the odds for the Rams’ Super Bowl 2021 have changed to +1500 from +1800.
The person responsible for this decision was Brad Holmes, who is the newly appointed general manager of the Lions. He was previously the director of college scouting for the Rams.
ESPN has also reported that the Lions were considering first-round picks from seven to eight teams in exchange for Stafford. However, the trade with Geoff does not indicate that the Lions will not take a quarterback in the draft for 2021.
The new Lions coach, Jeff Darlington has stated that Goff is included in the strategy Detroit has for the future.
Stafford was asked by reporters after Detroit’s final game from last year’s season if he would be playing for the Lions for the last time. He responded that he did not want to comment on hypothetical situations, however, after the end of the season, Stafford proposed exchange to the president of Lions, Rod Wood.
In every passing category, Stafford will be departing from the Detroit team as the all-time leader. He is ranked No. 16 in NFL passing yards as well as passing touchdowns, No. 14 completions, and No. 18 in attempts.
Stafford has suffered from many injuries during his career. In 2019, he could not play for the last eight games of the season because of fractured bones in his back.
He has helped the Lions in posing a tough competition, even though they haven’t won NFC North while he was the quarterback. During eight seasons, he had more than 4000 yards passing and in 2011, reached more than 5000 yards when he was able to achieve 41 touchdowns. He has thrown a minimum of 10 interceptions and 20 touchdowns in every single season.