Everyone is assuming that the blockbuster trade between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams that involves Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff is a done deal. While it looks like both teams are content with what they got, the Lions could back out of the trade due to Goff's impending physical.
If the Lions develop buyer's remorse but don't want to officially renege on the Stafford-for-Goff trade, they'd have an easy way out; Jared Goff had thumb surgery in late December, and his Lions physical is "coming soon" https://t.co/i1Dr83Auzv
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 31, 2021
Even though both teams have verbally agreed on a deal, the trade involving Stafford and Goff won't be made official until the new NFL year begins on March 17. Both sides will conduct physicals between now and then, which could give Detroit an avenue to nullify the trade if they choose.
Goff, who injured his thumb in Week 16 of the regular season, underwent surgery on his broken thumb last month. Therefore, Goff will need to pass his physical with the Lions before the trade can even become possible of happening.
In the trade that sent Stafford to Los Angeles, Detroit was able to get two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and Goff. While Goff gives them a placeholder option at quarterback, his contract is something that forced the Rams to include another first-round pick in the trade.
Given that, the Lions could rethink the trade and realize they don't want to inherit Goff's expensive contract. If that is the case, Detroit could fail his physical, saying that they don't believe his thumb is healed enough to go through with the previously agreed trade.
It seems highly unlikely that either the Rams or the Lions are regretting the trade to which they've agreed. But there is plenty of time between now and March, giving Detroit an opportunity to control whether the trade gets finalized or not.
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