The Los Angeles Rams seemed to be stuck with Jared Goff.
That was until the Detroit Lions decided to take him and his contract on in exchange for Matthew Stafford.
Both sides seem to be happy with the deal, for now.
The Lions also got some top draft picks in the deal, so Goff can just be suitable and it is a win for Detroit.
The star of the deal is still Stafford as he tries to get the Rams back into the Super Bowl leading the Sean McVay offense.
Fans are eager to see him step on the field, but the head coach made it clear Stafford will not make his debut until the games count.
#Rams QB Matthew Stafford won’t be playing in any preseason games this year
(Per @alexmarvez) pic.twitter.com/gq7AxGtYPA
— Adam Patrick (@Str8_Cash_Homey) August 4, 2021
McVay went as far as saying Stafford will never play in the preseason moving forward either.
Not A Major Surprise
Stafford is 33 years old and has dealt with injuries throughout his career.
He is now the Rams’ shiny new quarterback and at this point in his career he doesn’t need preseason play.
The entire league went without a preseason last year and it did not derail performance.
The key for Stafford is knowing the offense in and out before Week 1.
That is more important than a veteran getting game action in an exhibition.
Goff fell out of favor with McVay and now the young coach wants to prove his offense can thrive with Stafford under center.
He would not even open up the playbook much in the preseason anyway, so keeping Stafford out is a smart precaution.
Anything can happen and injuries can pop up out of nowhere.
He already dealt with a minor scare earlier this month.
#Rams QB Matthew Stafford has a swollen thumb after hitting it on a helmet in practice, but X-Rays were negative, source said. He’ll likely miss a few days, but nothing major.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 3, 2021
Major Expectations In Los Angeles
The Rams sent two first-round picks and a third-round pick, along with Goff, to the Lions in exchange for Stafford.
That is a massive trade and puts the future on hold in order to focus on winning now.
Stafford only has two years remaining on his deal and the dead cap value drops to nothing in 2022.
So there is a ton of pressure on all sides here to win and win now.
The same is true for McVay.
The 35-year-old went from the young genius to a coach who could be on the hot seat if the Rams don’t have playoff success the next two years.
Patience runs thin fast in the NFL and the Rams are spending big and telling their coach to win.
Stafford was seen as the missing piece and ensuring his health for the start of the year is a great move.
Other coaches around the NFL will surely follow this lead, especially with the preseason being trimmed down to three games in 2021.
