Dan Campbell Reveals How Trading Matthew Stafford Secretly Saved the Lions

Dan Campbell revealed that trading Matthew Stafford to the Rams helped the Detroit Lions build a competitive roster.

Dan Campbell Reveals How Trading Matthew Stafford Secretly Saved the Lions

Matthew Stafford and Dan Campbell inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/TouTube)

Matthew Stafford was drafted first overall by the Detroit Lions in 2009. He played 12 seasons with the Lions. The Lions traded Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently said the organization made the right call by trading Stafford. Campbell told former NFL quarterback and coach Jason Garrett on the Coach 2 Coach podcast:

That move set up everything that set up what we really are now, because it gave us the draft capital. It gave us a quarterback, a young quarterback, and Jared Goff. And it’s hard to do it because Stafford’s the best player on this team by a long shot.

The Lions gained a nice haul by trading Stafford to the Rams. They received quarterback Jared Goff—a younger signal-caller—a 2021 third-round pick, and a couple of first-round draft picks in 2022 and 2023. Campbell selected, which turned into core players like tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit also acquired Jameson Williams, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Josh Paschal, and Brodric Martin.

Over time, the Lions became serious NFC contenders. They won consecutive division titles (2023 and 2024) and boasted one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses. In the last three seasons, Jared Goff has thrown 100+ passing touchdowns while wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has recorded four consecutive 1,100-yard+ seasons.

Stafford, in his first season with the Rams, secured a Super Bowl winner’s medal. The Rams have consistently challenged other teams for NFC supremacy. Last year, Stafford led the Rams to the NFC Championship game, only to lose to the eventual Super Bowl winner, the Seattle Seahawks. Stafford threw for a league-best 4,707 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He was voted the best player.

Stafford announced his return for the 2026 season during the award ceremony. In May, the Rams re-signed the 38-year-old on a one-year extension worth up to $55 million.

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The Rams may have found Matthew Stafford’s replacement in Ty Simpson

A lot of eyebrows were raised when the Rams selected former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Simpson capped off a college career with an 11-4 record in his final year with the Crimson Tide. However, it was the only year when he saw considerable game time.

Dan Campbell Reveals How Trading Matthew Stafford Secretly Saved the Lions
Ty Simpson (Image via IMAGO)

Regardless, the Rams stuck to their guns. And it seems like their gamble is already bearing fruit. Simpson shared snaps with Stetson Bennett in the Rams’ preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Simpson completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and threw a couple of touchdown passes. The Rams returned to LA with a 20-12 victory.

Elsewhere, fellow rookie quarterbacks also earned positive remarks from experts. Drew Allar of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fernando Mendoza of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Carson Beck of the Arizona Cardinals took their first few snaps in NFL football. However, Colin Cowherd of FOX Sports claimed Ty Simpson had by far the best debut game among his peers. Cowherd said on The Herd:

Ty Simpson was the best quarterback I saw all weekend. 21 of 25, three scoring drives, rolling out, athletic, accurate, sprinkling the ball all over the field.

Although Sean McVay has yet to announce the official backup for Stafford, experts are already favoring Simpson over the more experienced Bennett. Both will play in the Rams’ second preseason friendly against the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

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