Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay parlayed trading Jared Goff and multiple first-round draft picks to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford into a Super Bowl title. But McVay does indeed have some regrets over how he personally handled Goff during the trade process last offseason.
In a lengthy interview with veteran NFL reporter Mike Silver, McVay took some personal responsibility for mishandling Goff, who had taken the Rams to a Super Bowl of his own after the 2018 season.
Silver asks McVay if he “would have done things differently” regarding how he handled the football breakup with Goff, who Silver acknowledges is a close friend of his. Goff was caught completely off-guard and expressed some anger and frustration at how McVay acted towards him.
McVay is candid in his response,
“That was a hard thing for me because the thing that’s more important than anything is being a good communicator. Clear, open, and honest. Making sure people aren’t caught off guard and really having respect for the players and the coaches for what they have to do. And I wish that there had been better in-person communication.”
The Super Bowl-winning coach elaborated,
“The one thing that hurt me is that I would never want anything to be misunderstood about my appreciation, my respect for Jared. Was it a tough decision? Yes. Were there some things that I could’ve handled better in terms of the clarity provided for him? No doubt.”
McVay then broke down what he would have done differently.
“If I had it over again, what I would do is, before I had even gone to Cabo, when there was a possibility of, alright, if Matthew Stafford’s available, if there’s other quarterbacks available, that would be something that we would explore,” McVay explained. “You sit down with him, you look him in the eye, you tell him that, instead of calling him and setting up a meeting where that was my intention when I got back from Cabo.”
McVay regrets “not being able to look (Goff) in the eye” and how quickly the trade situation with Stafford accelerated.
“I regret it,” McVay added. “I will not make those same mistakes again.”
It’s an honest acknowledgment from McVay and it echoes what Goff himself said about their relationship since the trade. The full interview is available on YouTube and is worth the time if you have interest in McVay’s opinions on a lot of topics.
