Moments After Exit, Jared Goff Reveals Special Dan Campbell, Lions Moment

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has experienced quite a career in the NFL, and it’s taken him from Los Angeles to the Motor City. As the story goes, Goff was famously traded from the Los Angeles Rams in March 2021, with the Rams receiving quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Lions getting Goff along with the Rams’ first round draft picks in 2022 and 2023 and a third round pick in 2021.

So, Goff went from sunny California to the often cold and snowy Detroit. But, he has embraced it, and he’s also been playing some of the best football of his career in Detroit.

On Thursday, March 13, Goff appeared on the Glue Guys podcast and discussed all things football and life. During the show, he recalled the moment he first talked to Lions head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes on the phone following the trade.

Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff Recalls First Dan Campbell Phone Call

First, Goff talked about getting a phone call from Rams head coach Sean McVay, and then, “a minute later, it’s on Twitter. I mean, not even 30-seconds later,” he said. That had to be tough.

But, then, Goff got some good news. He recalled, “Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) are calling me, but I was getting a million phone calls. I was kind of like declining everything at that point.”

He continued, “So, my agent texts me or is on the phone and he’s like, ‘Brad’s trying to get a hold of you. Can you answer his call? He keeps getting sent to voicemail.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, sure, okay. Got it, okay.'”

Goff added, “And he’s on the phone like ‘Hey Jared, Jared,’ He’s so excited. ‘Finally, I got you. You know, we’re so excited for you. We’re so excited to have you here, and then I can hear Dan, ‘Jared, I can’t wait to have you here. We’re so excited.'”

Goff added that right then and there, he knew this is what he wanted. He added, “That feeling of like someone breathing life into you and telling you how excited they are to have you on their team and what an opportunity we have here to build this thing up from the ground and that right there is the moment.”

Jared Goff: ‘Let’s Do This’

The Lions quarterback also said that he’ll never forget the moment of being like, “Let’s do this” and thought to himself, “If those two guys believe in me then that’s all I need.”

From there, Goff talked about replacing Case Keenum in Los Angeles and how Keenum, a veteran, helped the budding quarterback.

“He has the ability, like you said, to drop the ego, too,” Goff said. “Like, he knows he’s coming in to help the starter now, right? … Like he’s trying to tear the defense apart and scout team. But, there’s a chemistry in the quarterback room where, like, there is one guy in charge, there should be, and you need to know where you fit in that. And he certainly knows…”

So, it’s all smiles for Goff in Detroit. Now, we wait to see if the Detroit Lions can get to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history during the 2025 season.