2020 is the year. The Lions haven’t even won a postseason game since 1991, and they haven’t made it to the playoffs since ’16. Matthew Stafford wins the Super Bowl a year later, but not with Detroit. Now that he’s with the Rams, Jared Goff is the head coach in Detroit.
Now fast-forward to the present. Detroit is back in the postseason as the NFC North champions for the first time in 30 years. It has a strong chance of making it further in the playoffs as a three-seed, but Stafford and the Rams are the team that it must defeat first.
Why was Matthew Stafford traded by the Lions?
The first overall choice in the 2009 NFL Draft was Stafford. After moving to Detroit, he played there for 12 years, finishing with a record of 74-90-1. During that time, he set a franchise throwing record with 45,109 yards and 282 touchdowns. He played in three postseasons (2011, ’14, and ’16), but he never came out on top.
He wanted to play where he would win by 2020.
Stafford had talked about a trade before the playoffs were even ended, and it was quickly in the works. The Lions wanted to rebuild and begin hoarding draft picks while the quarterback established himself in Michigan.
The Rams on the West Coast needed a more seasoned quarterback to take them to the next level of success right away. The No. 1 overall pick in 2016, Jared Goff, had declined after leading Los Angeles to the 2018 Super Bowl. That year, he finished with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; the following year, he had 22 touchdowns and 16 picks.
The trade was completed one week after it was started. The Rams had Stafford, and the Lions had Goff.
Trade data for Matthew Stafford
Goff and a choice in each of the three upcoming NFL Drafts were exchanged by the Rams.
The Lions added six new players for the price of twice as many draft picks thanks to transactions made during the draft.
Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, third round (2021) (101st overall)
First round of 2022: 32nd overall pick was traded to the Vikings
2022 WR Jameson Williams (12th overall) in the first round from MIN
MIN – DE’s second round in 2022 Josh Paschal, placing 46th overall
2023: Sent 6th overall pick to the Cardinals in the first round
First round of 2023 from ARI – RB Jahmyr Gibbs, placing 12th overall
Second round of ARI – TE in 2023 Sam LaPorta finished 34th overall.
2023 ARI fifth round pick (168th overall) was traded back to the Cardinals in exchange for NT Brodric Martin, placing 96th all around
