Matthew Stafford wasted little time reminding everyone what the Rams’ offense can look like when he’s rolling.
In his first public training camp practice action since 2024, the reigning MVP looked sharp Monday at Loyola Marymount University, steering the first-team offense with steady command. He found open receivers throughout the session, handled the early stages of camp cleanly and showed little visible rust after missing public training camp work last year while dealing with a back issue.
The setting mattered. It was a non-padded practice, so the defense wasn’t operating at full intensity and the pass rush couldn’t truly get after the quarterback. Even with those limits, Stafford’s timing, processing and ball placement stood out right away.
Puka Nacua was once again right in the middle of everything.
Stafford kept looking his way during team drills, hitting him at multiple levels of the field. Their best connection came on a deep ball down the sideline against cornerback Jaylen Watson, with Nacua creating separation, tracking the pass over his shoulder and finishing the catch near the boundary.
Nacua also turned in one of the day’s best grabs when he hauled in a pass through traffic. At this point, calling him a standout barely qualifies as news, but the volume of targets made one thing clear: the Stafford-Nacua connection remains a core part of this offense.
The defense had a few moments, too. Emmanuel Forbes Jr. stayed with Davante Adams and broke up one rep with an incompletion, and Trent McDuffie also got work lined up across from Adams.
Those isolated wins didn’t change the bigger picture from Monday. Stafford was largely in control, reading what was available and delivering the ball on time and on target.
The Rams already know what Stafford can do when he’s healthy. This practice was a good early reminder that he still looks fully comfortable running the show.
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At 29, Murray arrives as the kind of depth piece teams lean on in July and August, when every practice rep matters and the back end of the roster is still taking shape. He has seen limited regular-season action in recent years, but the Rams will give him a chance to compete for a spot while they sort through the line combinations that could matter once the preseason starts. [Read more 🡒]