Aaron Rodgers’ injury is proof that Rams were fortunate Matthew Stafford trade worked out

The Los Angeles Rams were very fortunate that the Matthew Stafford trade worked out the way it did. Monday Night Football between the Jets and Bills was proof of that.

While New York pulled off a miraculous win over their division rival in overtime, they did so without veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Fame QB went down on the very first series with his new team and it was announced on Tuesday that he’ll miss the remainder of the season with an torn left Achilles. It could potentially end up being career-ending for a player pushing 40. For now that’s pure speculation.

The grass isn’t always greener for veteran signal callers looking for a change of scenery. Within the last couple offseasons, blockbuster trades for elite QBs just haven’t worked out for the teams that made them.

The Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson brought about similar expectations for Denver. Unfortunately for them, Wilson has gone 4-12 through 16 starts in the Mile High City. Russ threw a career-low 16 touchdowns in his first season and has been the subject of harsh criticism from the media and former teammates.

Sometimes the grass is greener for aging QBs but it’s a rarity. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the exception as they won rings with their new teams. However, they were free agents when they signed with the Broncos and Buccaneers respectively.

I can’t stress this point enough but it bears repeating: Monday night’s game illustrated just how fortunate LA was that the Stafford trade worked out. Forget about last season for a moment. That shouldn’t be hard for most of you. Stafford led the Rams to a title in Year 1. Besides Brady, how many quarterbacks can say they’ve done that?

Regardless of how much LA paid up to get him, it was sure worth it. Losing all those picks and Jared Goff was worth it because the Rams got a sweet piece of jewelry out of the deal. While it hasn’t worked out for Denver or New York this season, it did for Los Angeles and that’s something to be thankful for.

Enjoy the Stafford experience while it lasts folks. It’ll all be over before you know it, whether through retirement or a trade to the those luckless Jets.