Lions GM offers take on Jared Goff trade that could become freezing cold

The Detroit Lions traded for Jared Goff back in 2021, landing him in Detroit in exchange for longtime franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, who landed with the Los Angeles Rams as a result of the deal.

Detroit landed a major pick package in addition to Goff, one that netted them Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Brodric Martin, Josh Paschal, and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Williams, Gibbs, and LaPorta headline this package alongside Goff as a result of the deal. It was a blockbuster at the time, and still is - but, Stafford has already managed to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl championship.

Goff hasn't just yet.

That's what makes a recent take from Lions general manager Brad Holmes so interesting. Holmes sat down with ESPN's Field Yates for an interview on the team, and he told Yates that he feels like the trade he signed off on will go down as one of the best executed in NFL history.

Holmes sounds off on Goff trade being one of the best in NFL history

"When we got the trade done, and you heard all the 'that was a salary dump,' I was like look, Jared Goff...I knew what he was about, I knew how he was wired. I think we all suffer from the recency bias. And, the last thing was him exiting the playoffs, the last thing was him losing a Super Bowl, and I'm sitting here like...I didn't know that your career's defined at 24 years old, or 25 years old, whatever he was at the time. He had a lot of early success," said Holmes in the interview.

He added, "He had some bumps at the tail end. But I knew how talented he was, I knew how smart he was. I knew that he was a gritty, mentally tough quarterback. That's what I did know. That's why I felt like it was a perfect destination for him, and obviously the trade worked out. You could probably rank all-time trades, and it's gotta be up there in terms of what it does for us and, obviously, what it did for the Rams."

Now, Holmes is right to say this trade has worked out for both sides. The Rams got their hardware, while the Lions got their core. However, in relation to Goff, he has yet to lead the Lions to the "promised land" and a Super Bowl appearance since landing with the team. Last year was Detroit's best shot at that, but injuries led to their fizzle early in the postseason.

If Goff can finally get the Lions in the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise's history, then the trade could probably be seen as one of the best in NFL history. But right now, it does feel a bit lopsided despite the players Detroit was able to draft and develop because of the trade. Holmes' take has the potential to age a bit poorly as a result.