Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions, name a duo that seemed less likely to become an SI cover story when the two sides united via trade in 2021. But three seasons and one NFC Championship game later, Goff and the Lions have lived through bad times and surprisingly good times since the L.A. Rams decided to upgrade their quarterback position by trading two first round picks and a Super Bowl-playing QB for Matthew Stafford.
The Rams immediately won the first Super Bowl with Stafford after the trade. The Lions are considered by many to be the favorites in the NFC to win the fourth Super Bowl after the trade.
In a combined effort for Sports Illustrated, writers Greg Bishop and Conor Orr highlighted how former Rams exec and current Lions general manager Brad Holmes has rebuilt the once-saddest franchise into a legitimate Super Bowl contender going into his fourth season on the job. An effort that remarkably might not be possible without making sure to get Goff coming back to Detroit in the trade, a sign that Goff says inspired him to look deep within himself to find what had been missing since being the number one overall pick in 2016:…