Goff unsure when Rams soured on him: 'That's the tough part'

Jared Goff wants to know when he started to fall out of favor with the Los Angeles Rams, who agreed to trade the quarterback to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford.

"That's the tough part right now is trying to figure that out, when did that happen?" he told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. "Those are all conversations that I may or may not have, and try to figure it out. That's the conversation to have."

The Rams agreed Saturday to send Goff, two future first-round picks, and a third-round selection to the Lions in exchange for Stafford. The blockbuster trade becomes official at the beginning of the new league year in mid-March.

Drafted first overall in 2016, Goff spent five seasons with the Rams, including four under head coach Sean McVay. Los Angeles went 24-7 in Goff's starts from 2017-18 and appeared in Super Bowl LIII, but the team was a more modest 18-13 in his starts over the next two seasons.

Goff, who inked a four-year, $134-million extension with the Rams in September 2019, said it's "a little" weird that he hasn't received the clarity he's looking for from his former team.

"Regardless of how it ended, me and Sean had a great relationship and did so many great things together," Goff said. "Won a bunch of big games. Won a bunch of playoff games. Won two divisions together. Having so much success on the offense, so many good times and memories.

"Unfortunately, it ended sourly, but it still doesn't take away from all those times we had."

The Rams made the playoffs three times in four years with Goff and McVay together. Goff will head to a Lions franchise that hasn't reached the postseason since 2016 and hasn't won a playoff game since 1991.

"Ultimately, they wanted to go in a different direction," Goff said of the Rams. "As the quarterback, as the guy that's at arguably the most important position on the field, if you're in a place that you're not wanted and they want to move on from you, the feeling's mutual.

"You don't want to be in the wrong place. It became increasingly clear that was the case. (The trade) is something that I'm hopeful is going to be so good for my career."

Goff threw for 3,952 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over 15 games in 2020, missing one week following thumb surgery. His 38 turnovers over the last two seasons led the league.