National Football League

Sean McVay wishes he had 'better in-person communication' with Jared Goff

Updated Jan. 17, 2023 2:18 p.m. ET

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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said recently he wished he had handled things differently with current Detroit Lions QB (and former Ram) Jared Goff.

The Rams traded Goff to the Lions in March 2021, netting quarterback Matthew Stafford in return. The deal, which helped spark the Rams' to their Super Bowl victory, came after Los Angeles had failed to commit to Goff as its starting quarterback, amid reports that the relationship between Goff and McVay wasn't too good.

In a recent edition of the "Open Mike Podcast", McVay said he wished he had handled the situation differently.

"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," McVay said on the podcast. "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 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.

"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 — 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."

Goff texted McVay to congratulate him after the Super Bowl and had commented before the game that he was happy for his former teammates.

McVay also emphasized that he continues to have a good relationship with Goff.

"(Goff) sure as hell did a lot of good things," McVay said. "And I think the thing that shows what a stud, what a class act he really is, is one of the best text messages I got after the Super Bowl was from Jared Goff. And so, I think the further we get away, the more appreciation that we’ll have for the great four years that we did have together — because there were a lot of really good times. … But all in all, just the better communication, better clarity is what I would’ve wanted."

In his first season with the Lions, Goff played 14 games, completing 332 of 494 passes for 3,245 yards, with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

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