Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is finally telling the full story behind one of the most pivotal moments of his career, getting traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions. In a powerful preview clip from Netflix’s upcoming Quarterback Season 2, Goff dives into the emotional fallout of that trade and the unexpected lifeline he received from Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.
The clip, which debuted on The Pat McAfee Show, shows just how raw that moment was, and how close Goff came to being broken by it before Detroit gave him something L.A. no longer did: belief.
TLDR:
Goff revisits the moment he was traded to Detroit by the Rams.
Says early support from Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes changed everything.
Campbell calls Goff a foundational piece of the Lions’ rebuild.
Netflix’s Quarterback Season 2 premieres next week and features Goff’s journey.
A Career Shaken but Not Broken
For many, it may have been a humiliating moment to be traded away, with a load of draft picks, by the team that you helped take to the Super Bowl just a year prior. But Goff talks about how phone calls with Lions general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell immediately changed his perspective of the moment.
“It kinda brought me from this moment of like picking up the pieces to, like, reinvigorated with this energy of, ‘Oh, this is what it feels like to truly be wanted and to have these guys behind you,’” Goff said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “I hadn’t felt that in quite some time.”
Dan Campbell Sends a Message of Trust
Campbell remembers the call, too, and in a testimonial to the Netflix show, he recalled telling Goff that they’re a duo now.
“I just wanted to make sure that he understood how excited we were, how excited I was,” Campbell said. “You’re going to be part of the foundation. We’re going to build this from the ground up. You’re going to be a huge part of this, and you’re ours. You belong with us. We’re going to be tied to the hip.”
Campbell reiterated that point a little later.
“That’s my guy. That’s my quarterback,” Campbell said. “Every head coach has got a quarterback. If you want to have success, you better have a quarterback, and I’ve got one.”
Jared Goff Gets Emotional Reflecting on the Journey
Ultimately, Goff started to see the outstanding opportunity that Detroit provided. Working with a first-time head coach and a first-time general manager, they had the chance to bring success to a franchise that hadn’t seen any in seven decades. That’s when Goff got a little emotional.
“To be able to be the first decision they made when they got here and prove them right, how great of an opportunity is that?” Goff said. “Sorry, I’m trying not to cry, but, it’s been so incredible to build with them. That moment of hearing them on the phone, knowing (that) the opportunity that I had here was special.”
The Bottom Line
What started as one of the lowest moments of Jared Goff’s professional life turned into a turning point. The Lions gave him belief. Goff gave them stability. And now, heading into 2025, both are locked in with unfinished business. If this clip is any indication, Quarterback Season 2 will be more than just entertainment; it’ll be a heartfelt look at what redemption really looks like in the NFL.