“He deserved better!” Rams HC Sean McVay admits he ‘absolutely’ could’ve handled Jared Goff’s 2021 trade situation better

McVay has a chip on his shoulder to beat his former quarterback Jared Goff when the Rams and the Lions meet in the Wild Card at Detroit.

“He deserved better!” Rams HC Sean McVay admits he ‘absolutely’ could’ve handled Jared Goff’s 2021 trade situation better

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff (17) speak during warm-ups before Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Feb 3, 2019 (Image via IMAGO)

Sean McVay has lingering regrets about how he parted ways with former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff. He believes that the trade in which Matthew Stafford went the other way could have been a bit better.

The Rams drafted Goff in 2016, the first year since they moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles. Goff lost all seven games that he appeared in, but the situation saw a drastic change in the next season.

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Could it have been handled better on my end? Absolutely. I’ll never run away from that.
McVay in the recent presser

McVay was poached from the Washington setup and appointed as their head coach, leading them to a Super Bowl appearance after almost two decades. Three more fruitful years followed for Goff, as he crossed 4,500 passing yards twice.

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Despite signing a massive $134 million contract extension in 2020, the Rams decided to trade Goff to Detroit for Stafford. It raised a few eyebrows because Stafford had already crossed 30 by then, and they still had to bear a part of Goff’s salary, not to mention the dead cap.

He deserved better than the way that it all went down. I’ll acknowledge that. And I think he knows that too. And I’m not afraid to admit those things.
McVay

Sean McVay is impressed by Jared Goff’s growth in Detroit

Goff’s tenure with the Detroit Lions follows a similar path to his Rams career. A debut-year bust followed by consecutive winning seasons, reaching the playoffs.

"He deserved better!" Rams HC Sean McVay admits he 'absolutely' could've handled Jared Goff's 2021 trade situation better
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (Image via IMAGO)

However, at the start of 2023, hardly anyone would have picked them to not only record more than 10 wins (the first since 2014) but also win the NFC North, which Stafford never managed.

It was Detroit’s first divisional title since the early 1990s. Back then, it was still called the NFC Central. Goff’s remarkable achievement drew praise from his former head coach.

He’s done a great job for them. They've been one of the top offenses the last couple years. I do have more appreciation for him as time goes on.

Goff has played for the Rams once after his move, but that was at SoFi Stadium in LA. It was back in Week 7 of 2021; McVay won 28-19 that day. But Sunday’s Super Wildcard tie is very special. Matthew Stafford will make his return to Motor City for the first time since becoming a Super Bowl winner and aim to have the last laugh.

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