INGLEWOOD, Calif. — There were still 25 seconds left in Sunday’s NFC championship game when Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay left the sideline in search of his quarterback.
As soon as he spotted Matthew Stafford at the 35-yard line, McVay sprinted in his direction and wrapped him in an emotional hug, one year in the making.
Exactly 365 days before they eliminated their biggest nemesis and secured the chance to host Super Bowl LVI, the Rams made a seismic trade that was perceived as a gamble at the time. They sent two future first-round draft picks, a third-round selection and onetime franchise quarterback Jared Goff to Detroit in exchange for the talented but inconsistent Stafford.