The Rams head coach confirmed he always felt Stafford would be back in LA
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay was all smiles talking to the press on Tuesday about his recently retained quarterback Matthew Stafford, admitting that he “never felt like [a trade] ever got close”. Stafford and his potential trade out of the NFC West was the talk of the NFC combine, but in reality Los Angeles seemed to have a solid idea that they were going to hang on to their Super Bowl winning QB all along.
“That was never something that felt like ever got close, and it was never something that I allowed my mind to go to,” McVay said, via ESPN.
Whether this is 100% true or just a way for McVay to get back on his quarterback’s good side after allowing him to talk to other teams, Stafford will be back as the Rams starting QB in 2025. There may be some small fences that need to be mended behind the scenes, but it sounds like the Rams head coach is very happy to have Stafford back, adding that he has “been sleeping better these last couple days” after Stafford agreed to a restructured contract.
Despite the small rough patch, the Stafford’s also seem happy to be staying put in Los Angeles. Kelly Stafford, wife of Matthew, shared a photo of the veteran quarterback in his Rams gear on Instagram, writing “No place like home. @Rams”.
Unfortunately for fans that did not enjoy the back and forth this offseason, McVay confirmed he expects to go through the same process again with Stafford next year, via The Athletic. They will continue to do this process again on a year-to-year basis for as long as Stafford wants to continue playing. The Rams also agreed last offseason to adjust Stafford’s contract so that he would remain with the Rams for 2024.
Stafford’s 2024 numbers weren’t the gaudy figures we’ve come to expect from him but he also was missing his top two receivers for almost half the season and still managed a very solid year. He completed 65.8% of his passes at an average of 7.3 yards per attempt, with 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions and just under 4,000 yards passing.
Once WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned from their injuries, his numbers got better as he went from 7.3 yards per attempt to 7.9 yards per attempt. The post season could also be used as a true scale of what Stafford could do when all his pieces are healthy and on the field. The Rams QB went 45 of 71 for 533 yards in the team’s post season games. He also had four touchdowns and no interceptions against two of the NFL’s best defenses in Minnesota and Philadelphia.
The Rams Super Bowl window feels wide open with Stafford back at them helm, and with just a few days until free agency begins, LA has a chance to fine tune of the best rosters in the NFC.
