Former LB Blasts Former Los Angeles Rams Player, ‘Bunch of Soft Mother F’ers’

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The trade—completed in early 2021—sent Goff and a package of picks to the Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford, who would go on to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in his first year in L.A.

But for Goff, the issue wasn’t the destination. It was how the decision was communicated—or rather, not communicated—by Rams head coach Sean McVay.

“Three weeks after the last game of the season, I get a call from Sean and really did not expect anything,” Goff said on Quarterback. “He lets me know they’re trading me to Detroit. I’m like, ‘Whoa. Okay. Alright. What the hell’s happening?’ About 30 seconds after that phone call, it was on Twitter.”

“You feel like you’ve been betrayed or like you’re not wanted. Ultimately, it was the fact that there wasn’t a conversation. There wasn’t a ‘Hey, we’re thinking about moving on’ type of thing. There was nothing.”

Arrington: “This Doesn’t Happen With Other Positions”

Arrington believes the conversation wouldn’t even be happening if Goff weren’t a quarterback.

“This is generally only a conversation when quarterbacks are involved,” he said. “Every once in a while, it’ll be a legendary player at another position, but it just doesn’t hit the same. The rules of engagement for QBs are clearly different.”

Arrington’s comments reflect a longstanding tension in NFL locker rooms—the idea that quarterbacks are often shielded from the cold realities of the business in ways other players are not. And when things don’t go their way, Arrington suggests, they’re more likely to voice personal disappointment.

“You can throw out there that there should be a level of maturity or a different type of communication,” Arrington said. “But that’s just not how the league works.”

McVay: “I Could Have Done Better”

In fairness, even McVay agrees with Goff to some extent. Earlier this year, the Rams head coach admitted he mishandled the situation.

“The Jared Goff situation could have been handled better on my part,” McVay said on the Fitz and Whit podcast. “There’s a lot more respect and etiquette he deserved… That was poor on my part.”

“People just don’t like being caught off guard,” he continued. “These aren’t easy conversations, but you have to at least try to communicate with clarity.”

No Regrets, Just Fallout

In the years since the trade, both Goff and the Rams have done well. Stafford delivered a Lombardi Trophy in his first season, while Goff has led Detroit’s resurgence, including back-to-back playoff appearances and a 2024 NFC North title.

But the emotional toll of the split still reverberates—and that’s what rankles Arrington most.

“It’s a business,” he said flatly. “It’s not always pretty, and it’s not always personal. Sometimes, you just get moved. That’s football.”

Whether one views Goff’s reaction as understandable vulnerability or quarterback privilege, the divide speaks to a larger truth in the NFL: everyone is replaceable—but not everyone reacts the same way when they are.