It’s the end of an era Detroit. The Lions starting quarterback since 2009, Matt Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams this weekend. The Lions picked Stafford no. 1 overall in 2009 and he has been the leader of the franchise since. He leaves Detroit as the greatest quarterback in franchise history. He is the franchise’s all-time passing leader in yards and touchdowns by a longshot. It was clear as this past season progressed, that Stafford’s time was up. He is still a top 10 quarterback in the league, but he can’t keep the roster afloat any longer. In return for Stafford, the Lions received quarterback Jared Goff,  the Rams’ 2021 third-round pick, and the Rams’ first rounders in 2022 and 2023. It was reported that the Lions had offers from other teams including, Indianapolis and Washington, however the Rams offer was “far and away” the best deal. Many are happy with the draft picks that the lions received, but are not happy getting Jared Goff. Although Goff, has been one of the most consistent QB’s in the league, winning at least nine games in each of the past four years. Many attribute his success to head coach Sean McVay, but this year we will see if that’s the case.

When the Lions hired new GM Brad Holmes this offseason, it was expected that major changes would be made, and this is the beginning. There are rumors that the Lions could trade Goff as well, as there are many teams in contention that need a QB this offseason like Indianapolis. And as much as this trade is a win for the Lions, it is also a win for Matthew Stafford. He 32 years of age, and now finally gets an opportunity to play for a winning franchise and have an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl. The Rams have one of the best rosters in the NFL with star players like, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. This trade marks the start of the rebuild here in Detroit, but the draft picks that we received should help speed up the process.