The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest trades in NFL history at the start of the 2021 offseason, dealing quarterback Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles for Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a 2021 third-round pick. Viewed as a high cost at the time, Detroit wanted a lot more at the start of negotiations.
Things nearly unfolded very differently in a scenario that would have dramatically altered the 2021 NFL season. As previously reported, the Carolina Panthers were in serious talks to acquire the Pro Bowl quarterback. However, conversations Stafford had with Sean McVay influenced him to nix the trade and insist on a deal to Los Angeles.
- Matthew Stafford stats (2022): 1,323 passing yards, 69.8% completion rate, 5-7 TD-INT ratio, 82.4 quarterback rating
The domino effect dramatically altered the futures of both teams. Los Angeles stuck by its all-in approach, later acquiring Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr and winning the Super Bowl. With Stafford off the table and a Deshaun Watson trade wiped out by his legal battle, Carolina paid a heavy price to acquire Sam Darnold and then traded for Baker Mayfield this summer. The Panthers now sit at the bottom of the NFL standings in search of a new head coach and with significant questions regarding the team’s long-term outlook.
Everything worked out for the Rams with the cost to both acquire Stafford and move off Goff’s contract being justified with a Lombardi Trophy. However, the Lions reportedly tried to take advantage of the Rams’ aggressiveness early in negotiations with a stunning proposal.
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NFL insider Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports detailed on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast the process of the Lions negotiating a Stafford trade with the Rams and Carolina Panthers. After describing where things went wrong for Carolina, Robinson shared that the Lions initially asked Los Angeles about a deal centered around Aaron Donald and Stafford.
“At that point, the Lions and Rams had already had talks about Stafford. They were a little crazy because initially Detroit was like, ‘Well, can we get Aaron Donald in this deal?’ and the Rams were like ‘Yeah, no. That’s definitely not going to happen.'”
Charles Robinson on Detroit Lions’ initial ask from Los Angeles Rams for Matthew Stafford
Unsurprisingly, the Rams shot the idea down immediately. Instead, Detroit received a viable starting quarterback for multiple seasons and two first-round picks to build out the core of the roster. The Lions certainly knew they had no shot of acquiring Donald, but the front office started from an extremely high point so it could work its way towards a quality return. As for the Rams, there wasn’t any proposal strong enough that would convince them to move arguably the best player in the NFL.
Considering how the Rams have performed thus far in 2022, with Stafford leading the league in interceptions, it’s possible the first-round selection from Los Angeles in the 2023 NFL Draft will be far higher than anyone expected.