The Rams’ future questions have started to shift away from Sean McVay and toward Matthew Stafford, but the coach’s appreciation for his quarterback hasn’t changed at all.
McVay made it clear just how much Stafford has meant to him, both on the field and personally. The Rams coach said Stafford was a major reason he stayed in coaching after he had considered leaving a few years ago.
“He’s as big a reason as there is that I’m still here,” McVay said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “He’s helped me find my way again, no question.
I said it about that ’23 team, when I was broken down in ’22 - I feel really grateful for a lot of people. But there’s no player that’s had a bigger impact on the enjoyment, the perspective and the gratitude I have for what a blessing it is to coach and to work with so many special players.
And especially because it’s a guy that I work so closely hand-in-hand with. I love him unconditionally, and it’s a relationship that’s only gotten stronger as we’ve done this.”
That connection goes both ways. McVay’s offense is built around Stafford and makes the most of what the quarterback does best, while Stafford gives McVay access to more of the playbook.
The relationship has become one of the defining pieces of the Rams’ setup, and the chatter about McVay walking away has cooled off. He appears set to stay in Los Angeles for the long haul.
Stafford’s future, though, is now the bigger topic. That became even more noticeable after the Rams used a first-round pick on QB Ty Simpson this past April.
Stafford told Breer that when he was first traded to Los Angeles in 2021, he figured he would play three more years. Instead, he is entering Year 6.
And even with the possibility of finishing with a championship and going out like John Elway or Peyton Manning, Stafford said he still isn’t sure that would mean he’s done.
In San Francisco, the 49ers got encouraging signs from cornerback Renardo Green after a rough moment last season that led to some trade speculation. The team stayed committed to him, and he answered with a strong offseason. After Week 1, Shanahan praised Green following a game in which the third-year corner played every snap despite dealing with a hamstring injury and picked off a pass.
“He had such a good training camp phase one and OTAs,” Shanahan said via the Athletic’s Matt Barrows. “He was one of the guys I was most excited about this year just in terms of taking such a big step from the year before, and he had that hamstring which set him back and he wasn’t able to go until this week. He was working all week to get up, and for him to be healthy enough to play through that game, make it through the game without getting an injury and to play at the level he did, I thought was huge.”
Shanahan also said tight end Jake Tonges suffered a knee injury that “wasn’t good” and is an MCL injury. Left tackle Trent Williams and running back Christian McCaffrey both dealt with cramps during the game, but Shanahan said they are now doing well.
Across the division in New York, Malik Nabers made one thing plain when asked about whether he would play: “It’s my career.”
Nabers had been expected to test his injured knee before the game, with he and the team set to decide his Week 1 status after that.
In Other News...
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Garrett has already been placed on injured reserve for arthroscopic knee surgery, a setback that is expected to keep him out at least four weeks. Beyond the injury itself, there is growing curiosity around his readiness and how the Rams handled the travel and workload around the trip, with some outside chatter pointing to tension even as no firm details have been confirmed. [Read more 🡒]
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Rams Face A Bigger Problem Than Just One Quiet Week 1
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For a team trying to stay competitive now, the more unsettling part is what comes next. Los Angeles does not have a deep stash of valuable future draft picks, so the usual fix for a thin young core is harder to find, and the situation is even more complicated with two 2025 draft picks, linebacker Chris Paul Jr. and running back Jarquez Hunter, already no longer on the team. [Read more 🡒]