THOUSAND OAKS (Calif.) -- Nine months after the Los Angeles Rams reached an agreement to trade Jared Goff, Coach Sean McVay expressed regret at the way the deal with his former quarterback went down.
McVay stated Monday, "Yes, I wish there had been better, more clear communication." "To say it was flawlessly handled on my part, I wouldn’t be completely accurate in that. Although I won't claim perfection, I will learn from mistakes and try to improve.
The Rams are 5-1, heavily favored against the 0-6 Detroit Lions. However, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the game as McVay & Goff prepare for their matchup after a turbulent four-year run.
McVay stated that Goff's return home to Los Angeles, where he had spent five seasons before the Rams traded 15 spots for him to be selected first overall in 2016. "I think the L.A. and I think the Rams fan know how great he was and how much -- I think how important he meant to both the Rams organization as a football player, and the community."
McVay and Goff won two division championships and an NFC title after McVay was appointed in 2017. The Rams' offensive output declined after a Super Bowl LIII defeat to the New England Patriots 13-3. They missed the 2019 playoffs.
Goff's status was in doubt after a loss to the Green Bay Packers in divisional playoffs last season. Neither McVay or Les Snead had committed to Goff. Matthew Stafford, the Rams' quarterback, requested a trade with the Lions days earlier. A chance encounter between Stafford and McVay, while they were on vacation in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, marked the end for Goff. He was traded with two first-round picks as well as a third-rounder to be named Stafford.
Goff stated to reporters that McVay had not contacted him since the season ended and that he only received the call about the trade from McVay. Goff claimed that he was blindsided and shocked by the trade.
McVay stated, "You don’t want to catch men off guard." It came together much faster than anyone expected, but it was still a difficult decision.
McVay maintained Monday that there wasn't a tipping point in McVay's relationship with Goff, and that Stafford was too good to lose.
McVay stated, "That's why we made that decision and that's why it came together so quickly because we felt like it wasn't a common opportunity to acquire a player with Matthews caliber." These opportunities don't happen often."
Stafford still has two years remaining on his $135 million, five-year deal. He has been a catalyst for the Rams' offense in a very short time and is now a Super Bowl favorite.
Stafford has passed for 16 touchdowns. This ranks him third in the NFL, behind Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and behind Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Elias Sports Bureau, they are the most touchdowns by any quarterback in NFL history through six games.
Stafford stated that he would treat Sunday's Lions reunion "just like any other game," but he also said that there would likely be a prolonged period of greetings with former teammates, friends and, if present, the Ford family, before kickoff.
McVay stated that he would speak to Stafford about facing Stafford's former team but that he expected the 13-year-old quarterback to handle it like any other game.
McVay stated that McVay is "so impressive in terms of his weekly rhythm, and his consistency through the first six weeks." McVay said, "He's so steady with his work ethic that I don't believe he will make it more than it is."
