Through their first seven games of the 2022 regular season, T.J. Hockenson had been the leading receiver for the Detroit Lions, which also means he has been one of Jared Goff‘s top offensive weapons. On Tuesday, prior to the NFL trade deadline, Hockenson was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, who are currently 6-1 on the season. One day after the trade, Goff spoke to the media about the Lions trading away Hockenson to the Vikings.
What did Jared Goff say about the Detroit Lions trading T.J. Hockenson?
On Wednesday, Goff told reporters that when a trade is made, it is all about trusting the front office that they know what they are doing.
“I’ve been on both sides of it,” Goff said Wednesday. “I’ve been in the acquiring and I’ve been in the losing a player. I think it’s hard to explain, but each decision is made in the best interests of the team and you have to trust that and you have to believe that. That’s the only way you can move forward.
“And with that, when we acquired in L.A., we traded away players, too. So you don’t know, is this going to work? Who knows? But it’s always trusting of upstairs and being a good player and good teammate.”
Via Dave Birkett – Detroit Free Press
Goff said Hockenson is “a tremendous player” and said he was “a guy that I grew close with,” though he clearly did not want to get into it too much.
Are the Lions giving up on the season?
When asked if trading Hockenson during the season was a sign that the Lions are waving the white flag, Goff brushed it off.
“I opened it up (talking about Hockenson) so that we didn’t have to do this and I respectfully, it’s not my decision. I’m a player here and I do my best every day and it’s up to them.”
“It sucks going through that as a teammate, mostly just seeing him in the building every day, not being able to be around him,” Goff said. “But yeah, I wish him the best and I know he’ll be successful in doing his thing. Happy for him and hope everything works out for him.”
Lions’ GM Brad Holmes obviously did not want to give Hockenson a multi-year, mega contract and by trading him now, he was able to get some extra draft capital for 2023 and beyond.
Nation, do you think trading Hockenson was the right move for the Lions?
