The trade that sent Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams last year famously came together while the star quarterback and Sean McVay were in Mexico together. McVay decided during that trip that he and Stafford were a perfect fit, and he had an incredible way of conveying that to the decision-makers back home.

In a wide-ranging feature that ESPN’s Seth Wickersham published this week, McVay recalled the time he spent with Stafford in Cabo San Lucas leading up to the blockbuster trade last offseason. McVay was on vacation with his wife Veronika sulking over the Rams’ loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round when he learned two things — Stafford was vacationing at the same resort and wanted out of Detroit.

It was practically meant to be. McVay and Stafford met for cocktails and discussed football. Wickersham described it as a “bond forged over sun and booze.” After the two parted ways, McVay made a FaceTime call to members of the front office. He recalled the legendary pitch he made to them when he was “a few tequilas in.”