Jared Goff 'ready for new opportunity' after trade to Lions

Jared Goff quickly fell out of favor with the Los Angeles Rams after a disappointing 2020 season, which led to his trade to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford. 

The 26-year-old recently admitted in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he's ready for a new opportunity in Detroit, where he could potentially revive his career, according to ESPN's Lindsey Thiry.

"You start to feel, I don't want to say 'relief' is the word, but you start to feel happy, grateful, ready for a new opportunity," Goff said. "That's the biggest feeling that I was overcome with that night, and even in the days following."

After a playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead failed to commit to Goff as their long-term starting quarterback. 

Goff initially said the trade was "difficult" and "disappointing. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft admitted that he isn't even sure when the Rams decided that he would not be a part of their future.

"That's the tough part right now is trying to figure that out, when did that happen?" Goff said. "Those are all conversations that I may or may not have, and try to figure it out. That's the conversation to have."

Goff has never been able to match his performance from 2018, when he led the Rams to the Super Bowl. In 2020, the two-time Pro Bowler went 9-6, completing 67% of his passes for 3,952 yards and 20 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. 

While the Lions are taking a risk in trading for Goff, who has a $134 million contract, they might view him as a bridge quarterback, according to multiple NFL analysts. If that's the case, Detroit might not be expecting too much out of him. If he revives his career, the trade will look better than it does right now.