When the Detroit Lions traded quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, many wondered how things went down. Did Detroit really want Jared Goff as their quarterback, or did it just kind of happen in the trade? As it turns out, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes knew that Goff was an exceptional player. He wanted him badly. Now, of course, Goff has some of the best stats in the league, so it makes Holmes look like a genius.

Brad Holmes on Jared Goff:

In an interview with Peter Schrager on “The Season” podcast, Holmes talked about why he always Goff had so much promise as a NFL quarterback. He also opened up about some of those talks that took place behind closed doors during the Goff-Stafford trade.

“I’ll never forget, Les (Snead) asked me, ‘Do you want Jared in this trade?’ And I was like, ‘Hell, yeah. Absolutely,'” Holmes said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Just give me any quarterback.’ No. I was like, ‘I want Jared in this trade.'”

He added, “The way that the narrative was of how the trade went, it kind of went, ‘Oh, Jared can’t play.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, this guy was just playing in the Divisional (round) playing with a broken hand, completing 70% of his passes. Like, why can’t he play anymore?'”

So, why did people think he couldn’t play? In some recent interviews, Holms has talked about how the recency bias has played into some draft picks. That also includes Goff. Just because a player had a rough season recently or had to sit out, that doesn’t mean they’re done. Far from it. It’s a major mistake for management to write off a player based only on their most recent showing.

Holms also praised Goff for his grit. “He’s a Detroit Lion. He’s that,” Holmes said. “He embodies what the city’s about. And I think the toughness and everything he’s endured, I think everybody just has a lot more appreciation about him.” It’s great seeing Goff get some respect. Now, we just need Dan Campbell to get more respect.