The Los Angeles Rams will be hosting quite the homecoming at SoFi Stadium when the Detroit Lions come to town in Week 7. Not only is Matthew Stafford squaring off against his old team, but Jared Goff and Michael Brockers will also be returning to where it all started.
Goff’s stint in L.A. came to an unceremonious end after they wasted no time in pulling the trigger on a blockbuster trade for Stafford during the offseason. Even Sean McVay acknowledged his regret in how the deal went down since the team had zero contact with their former franchise QB beforehand.
Despite his tumultuous departure, Goff says there is no sense of ill will toward his former team. Regardless, that does not mean he has forgotten about how it all came to an end.
Goff acknowledged that there is still some bitterness about the handling of his departure, via Kevin Modesti of the Southern California News Group:
“There was some disrespect felt towards the end, there was some sourness there towards the end, and you still feel that, you still have that chip on your shoulder,” Goff said.
Although there may still be a chip on his shoulder, Goff is adamant about not letting it affect his play:
“When the game starts, if I let any of that come into how I’m going to play the game, it’ll be selfish,” Goff said. “And I’m gonna play the game just how I would any other game, and to be honest, I’m not worried about feeling some type of way once the game starts.”
Goff added that even if the trade happened like it did, he appreciates McVay’s comments regarding the mishandling his departure.
“I appreciate it. It takes a man to say something like that,” Goff said. “It still happened the way it did, but I do appreciate him saying that, and got all of the respect in the world for them over there.”
While Goff’s struggles towards the end became a point of emphasis going into the offseason, the move still caught him off guard since he was just two years into a four-year, $134 million extension. He will now have a chance to stick it to his old team in a return to the former stomping grounds.
McVay may regret how business was conducted for Goff, but there is no denying that the trade has worked out nicely for the Rams. They carry a 5-1 record going into Week 7 despite still having plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball.
Even if Goff’s stint came to a bitter end, he played an integral role in turning this team into playoff contenders during their relocation to L.A. It will be interesting to see the kind of ovation he receives from fans.
