Aftershocks of the Stafford-Goff trade will last for years

The LA Rams have to be thrilled with the early return from their investment in QB Matthew Stafford. He’s led them to a 5-1 record and has set an NFL record for the most touchdown passes in his first six games with a new team with 16. He’s given them the stability they’ve been searching for at the quarterback position.

On the other hand, the Detriot Lions’ record with former Rams’ QB Jared Goff is 0-6. He’s been just okay with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Both quarterbacks obviously have many different circumstances, but this is the perfect time to compare them as they are set to face off this week on Sunday at 1:05 PM. The Rams are a 15-point favorite, odds are courtesy of WynnBET (but are subject to change)

While you may not wish it to happen, the fact is that since both Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff were exchanged in the same trade, their careers going forward will be forever linked in the minds of NFL fans of both teams. Is it truly fair to either player to do so? Probably not.

Still, the fact that they exchanged teams will draw comparisons that will be awkward but will be used to distinguish which team ‘won’ the trade. Since the trade involved three draft picks being included with the package sent to the Lions for Stafford, the direct player versus player comparisons must favor Stafford significantly.

So far, that is the case.

But this blockbuster trade will take years to sort out. The Lions have yet to spend either the LA Rams’ first-round draft pick in either the 2022 or 2023 NFL Drafts. It will take years afterward to truly assess their value.

For the Rams, the trade was not made to get better at quarterback as much as to get a quarterback on the roster who the team believes can get them to and win the Super Bowl. So the ultimate measure of success is whether Stafford can deliver.