The Detroit Lions trading for quarterback Jared Goff in 2021 has proven to be a blessing from the football gods, with the veteran signal-caller having a huge hand in the revival of the franchise over the past few years.
But it has no doubt been a two-way street, as Goff was on a downward trajectory with the Los Angeles Rams before he was dealt to Detroit. Since then, Goff has seen his own revival, with the Lions quarterback putting up some of the best numbers of his career over the past two seasons, and he led the team to an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2023.
And all of that isn't lost on Goff, who recently said on the Trading Cards podcast that being traded to Detroit was the "greatest thing that ever happened to me."
“In hindsight, (being traded to Detroit) was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, for my career and my development as a human," he said, via Jared Ramsey of the Detroit Free Press.
Goff added that many felt he was "being sent to a place to die," seeing as how he was joining a team that was coming off three straight losing seasons and a 5-11 campaign before the rebuild.
But Goff was determined not to let that happen, and the fact that he was trusted to be the leader of the franchise has only helped him grow more.
"Being shipped off and being sent to a place to die, essentially, is what a lot of people think it was and I was never going to allow that to happen," he said. "I'm fortunate enough to be around a lot of good coaches and players in Detroit that support me and help me reach my potential.”
"I think it’s been natural, I’ve just gotten older and you get more comfortable in your voice," Goff added. "And I think there was an element to being empowered that happened in Detroit with Dan (Campbell) and a lot of the coaches and people there that were like ‘Dude no. You go. This is your thing, you go figure it out,’ whereas as a young player, that wasn’t always the case."
Goff had immense shoes to fill upon his arrival in Detroit, as he was replacing Matthew Stafford. However, he has answered the bell every step of the way and could very well go down as the greatest quarterback in franchise history when it's all said and done.