Matthew Stafford’s latest ESPN quarterback ranking offered the Detroit Lions another rough reminder of how the 2021 trade has played out.
Stafford landed at No. 3, while Jared Goff, the quarterback Detroit received in the deal, came in at No. 9.
The swap sent Stafford to the Rams in exchange for Goff, two future first-round picks and a 2021 third-rounder going back to Detroit. It was a mutual decision at the time, and it can still be framed as a win-win.
But only one side has walked away with a Super Bowl, and the gap between Stafford and Goff is once again impossible to ignore.
Stafford’s place near the top of the list fits the season he just put together. He was coming off an MVP year, led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns, and became part of only the fourth season in NFL history with at least 45 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions.
As one NFL head coach told ESPN, "Nobody played better than him last year, and it wasn't even close."
Goff has built a strong case of his own, especially over the last two seasons. ESPN noted that only four other quarterbacks in history have had more than 4,500-yard passing seasons than Goff.
An NFL coordinator also praised him this way: "He's going to find a completion if not under pressure," said an NFL coordinator. "Mature pocket passer with a plus arm who can layer the ball at all levels."
Still, the numbers and the results don’t line up the same way they do for Stafford. Goff threw for 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns last season, but that production didn’t carry the Lions where they wanted to go. For the third time in five years since the trade, Detroit missed the playoffs.
Both quarterbacks have dealt with injuries, so that part of the story doesn’t tilt the scales. Stafford took plenty of punishment in Detroit behind a rough offensive line, and in 2022 with the Rams he missed the entire second half of the season. He also sat out 2025 training camp because of a back issue.
Goff’s path in Detroit started unevenly and was slowed by injuries, but once he settled in, he grew into the role and became a team leader.
The two quarterbacks have only gone head-to-head a few times over the past five years, and Stafford holds the edge there, 2-1. Goff and the Lions did get the biggest single win in the matchup, though, beating Stafford and the Rams in the 2023 NFC Wild Card.
Even with that, the larger picture is pretty clear. Stafford won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams and has taken them to the playoffs every year he has been healthy. The move gave him the kind of talent around him that Detroit never quite provided.
Goff has had more offensive help in Detroit than Stafford ever had there, but he still hasn’t delivered the franchise’s first Super Bowl. The Lions have reached the playoffs twice under Goff, including a run to the 2024 NFC Championship Game.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Rams are again being viewed as Super Bowl favorites, while the Lions are not in that tier. Both teams got something out of the trade, but Rams fans can thank Detroit for sending them a franchise legend.
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