Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers just pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent memory.
The Packers sent a couple of first-round picks and star defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys in exchange for star edge-rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons was unhappy with the Cowboys after they couldn’t reach a contract extension, and the team made the decision to move on from the star.
It’s rare to see a player of Parsons’ caliber be traded, and the Lions probably don’t love seeing the pass-rusher land in their division.
With the Parsons deal done, FOX Sports recently compiled a list of the biggest trades of all time. The Lions make an appearance on the list with the No. 5 biggest trade in NFL history.
Of course, the trade being referenced is the 2021 trade of Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and three draft picks. Stafford was a franchise legend in Detroit, but the team failed to have much sustained success with the veteran and felt like a change was necessary.
Regarding that move, the following analysis was offered:
Many view the Stafford for Goff deal as a win-win. The Rams lost the Super Bowl in 2019 before missing the playoffs the next two seasons. So, in order to capitalize on a win-now window, they moved the younger Goff for the wily veteran Stafford. In his first season in Los Angeles, Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl title. While the deal instantly paid off for the Rams, it took a few seasons for Detroit. The Lions rebuilt around Goff as the city fell in love with the culture-setting quarterback. In 2025, they put it all together, going 15-2 as Goff threw for a career-high 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns.
As the article states, it’s easy to view this trade as a win-win. The Rams, after several disappointing seasons with Goff, won a Super Bowl after adding Stafford.
The Lions, meanwhile, struggled at first, but eventually reset the culture and have turned into a perpetual winner with Goff at the helm.
In 2024, Goff led the Lions to an NFL-best 15-2 record while throwing for 4,629 yards with 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Goff set career-highs in completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating in 2024.
Another aspect that makes this trade such a blockbuster is what the Lions did with the picks they received. The two first-round picks and one third-rounder were turned into Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Brodric Martin, Jameson Williams, Josh Paschal, and Ifeatu Melifonwu.
Gibbs, LaPorta, and Williams have turned into key difference-makers as well and have helped Goff turn the culture around in Detroit.
