Players on the trade… starting with Akers

Aaron Donald: ‘Everybody was shocked’ by Rams trading Jared Goff

Cameron DaSilva

* https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2021/02/03/rams-aaron-donald-jared-goff-trade-reaction-interview/

It’s Super Bowl week and although the Rams aren’t playing in the big game, unfortunately, players are making the rounds on radio shows and podcasts. Rams players have been popular guys to interview, too, with the move Los Angeles just made over the weekend, sending Jared Goff to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.

After Cam Akers said he was shocked by the trade, Aaron Donald echoed his thoughts. Donald says he thinks everyone was surprised by it and as stunning as it was, he realizes it was a business decision. Here’s what he said on the “Dan Patrick Show” Wednesday.

“I’m pretty sure everybody was shocked with it,” he said. “But Stafford’s a great quarterback. I’m excited about having him with the team, a veteran guy that knows the game, that’s been playing the game at a high level for a long time. It was a business decision that the Rams organization chose to make. I’ll always love Goff. That’s my brother forever. But I guess things didn’t work out how they wanted to so they made a change.”

Donald spent the last five years with Goff, getting to know him over time in Los Angeles. Being a leader in the locker room, Donald had nothing but great things to say about the quarterback on his way out.

He wished him well in Detroit and wouldn’t criticize Goff in any way as he heads to the Lions.

“I think there’s a lot of things that were said,” Donald said when asked about Goff’s unfair criticism. “Once you’re the starting quarterback, if things ain’t going how they’re supposed to go, you’re going to be talked about a lot. I will never say nothing bad about Goff. Like I said, that’s my brother. Always going to keep in contact with him, always going to talk. I wish nothing but the best for him in Detroit. So we’re not going to worry about the negativity that’s talked about. He’s got a bright future ahead of him, a fresh start, and hopefully he does great things there.”

Replacing Goff will be Stafford, a guy Donald has faced three times in his career. When asked about the team’s new quarterback, Donald knew exactly how many times he sacked Stafford in their three meetings – taking him down three times in their 2015 meeting, once in 2016 and twice in 2018.

“Six times in my career,” Donald said. “He’s going to help us win some games so I’m pumped up about that.”

Stafford has never won a playoff game in his career, but with a strong supporting cast around him – and a superstar like Donald on the other side – that should change sometime soon.

𝒥𝒾𝓂 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓉@Jim_Everett
Hey @JaredGoff16, you’ve touch a lot of people brother. Know, your work ain’t done yet! Go do your thing. Gotta a good one @Lions
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