It appeared to be a foregone conclusion that the Rams won the Matthew Stafford trade with the Lions after winning the Super Bowl last season. That hasn’t stopped a debate from percolating that suggests Detroit was the trade’s true winner.
Los Angeles (4-9) began the season by trying to become the first Super Bowl champion to repeat since New England in 2003 and 2004. Instead, the Rams are facing a different kind of history.
Los Angeles is fighting against securing the worst record ever by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Denver Broncos went 6-10 in 1999 following back-to-back Super Bowl wins and John Elway’s retirement.
Detroit’s 2022 began in familiar fashion as its 2021 season, but the team turned things around following the bye week. This weekend, the Lions (6-7) have a chance to inch closer to a playoff berth with a win against the New York Jets (7-6).
That’s led some to question if the Lions are on track to be the winner of the Stafford trade. Former NFL front office executive Jeff Diamond wrote a piece for the 33rd Team asking if Detroit has the advantage as far as which team won the trade.
For the Lions to end up with a legitimate case as the winner of the Stafford trade, they would need to hit a home run with the Rams’ draft pick, projected to be fourth overall by Tankathon.
Whether that’s Jared Goff’s replacement or another contributor, the player chosen will need to be a reason the team becomes a perennial playoff team and Super Bowl winner. Success at that level has eluded Detroit for generations. From 1970-2021, the team has a record of 1-12 in the postseason. The Lions’ last playoff win came following the 1991 season against the Dallas Cowboys.
Plenty needs to happen before the Lions are anointed the winner of the trade that helped the Rams win a Super Bowl. There is reason to be excited about Detroit’s future, but we should wait until the team has a winning record before we unthaw this debate.
There is no question who won the trade right now. Los Angeles won a Super Bowl, while Detroit is happy about being 6-7.
