LOS ANGELES – He didn't want to bore the media with minute details of what his rest or non-practice days looked like, which was understandable.
What's most important is how Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks when he does take the field in training camp. Doing so for the first time Monday afternoon, his sharpness showed whatever that plan involves is working so far, as he picked up right where he left off his MVP-winning 2025 season.
"It was fun to be back out here today," Stafford said after Monday's practice at Rams Training Camp presented by Community America Credit Union at LMU. "Trusting the process that we've come up with. (Head) coach (Sean) McVay, (Senior Vice President, Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) and all his staff doing everything they can to try to help our team be as good as we possibly can, but also help me peak at the right time, be ready to rock and roll come week one. But it was a blast to be out here today."
Some of Stafford's best throws Monday included a deep completion down the sideline to wide receiver Puka Nacua, and excellent ball placement on an over-the-shoulder grab by wide receiver Davante Adams in stride as well as a back-shoulder catch by wide receiver Konata Mumpfield.
"He looked good. He was sharp," McVay said after Monday's practice. "I thought he distributed the ball really well, played with timing and rhythm. He looked really crisp, had a really good day."
The upcoming season marks the sixth of Stafford and McVay working together, a quarterback and play-caller partnership that most recently reached the heights of the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense and No. 1 total offense for 2025. Asked how much of that partnership is retention carryover versus adding a high volume of new plays, Stafford indicated there's a mix of both.
"No, there's some new stuff and there's some old stuff that's called something different or whatever the old word was it means something new, so he's always keeping me on my toes," Stafford said with a laugh. "You give that guy too much time in the offseason, there's going to be some tweaks and some fun stuff to come back to. But that's what we love. He's always thinking about trying to put us in the best position to succeed. If you're a player, man, what more could you want from a coach? And not only the X's and O's, but you know he spends a lot of time thinking about us as people and us as a team."
For Stafford, Monday was spent testing plays new and old against a defense featuring familiar faces as well as major new additions, between reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett lining up along the defensive front and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson roaming in the secondary. While Stafford connected with Nacua, Adams and Mumpfield on highlight-worthy plays, there were also times where Garrett met him in the pocket, or McDuffie was stride-for-stride with Nacua on a fade route to force an incompletion.
Stafford still clearly remembers the last time he faced Garrett in an actual game, a Week 13 matchup at SoFi Stadium during that 2023 season which was a constant chess match of adjusting to wherever the five-time Associated Press First-Team All-Pro lined up along the line of scrimmage.
"Well, luckily I don't have to block him," Stafford said. "It's awesome, right? I remember playing him a couple years ago and every single play it is a chess matchup. 'Okay, where is he? Can we run the play that we're going to run or can we not?' And then he affects every time you drop back to throw the football, right? And shoot, hand it off and run it as well. But he's just a game-changing player. He's a proven, elite player in this league and we're happy to have him. It's obviously young in his journey here. I've been in those shoes before a little bit. I didn't have the pedigree that he had coming in that he has right now, but he's done a great job of just figuring out what we're about, understanding how we go about things, and fitting right in. I mean, it's hard not to when you're as good a player as he is."
Tuesday's practice represents the second scheduled off day for Stafford within a four-day practice block – what will be an "above-the-neck" day according to McVay – then he will be back on the field Wednesday. He has full faith in the Rams' plan to help him be as fresh and ready as possible for Week 1 against the 49ers, but he also appreciates the times he takes the field with a roster full of talent sharpening one another on both sides of the ball.
"I'm surrounded by so many great players and I don't take that for granted, both on our side of the football and on the defensive side," Stafford said. "It's a blessing to come out here every single day and compete against these guys and play with the guys on the offensive side of the ball, so just an exciting time."
