Matthew Stafford

Kelly Stafford, who is the wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, turned heads in NFL circles in August when she said on her podcast that her 35-year-old husband struggled to connect with some of the younger players on his team.

The quarterback refuted that Wednesday and had some fun with the situation.

Stafford said he "definitely" feels like he can connect with other players on the team and did not have to address his wife's comments with anybody on the Rams, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.

He also joked that he was going to come out dressed like an old man to hold a press conference.

"I think those guys understand where I'm coming from," Stafford said. "They see me come in this building every single day and know how I go to work, know how I interact with everybody and we didn't really think too much about it to be honest with you.

"I'm not too worried about it. Nobody in the locker room's too worried about it, I can promise you that. We've completely moved on. Not that we've ever really stopped to think about it, to be honest with you, but yeah, I'm not too worried about it."

For her part, Kelly expressed regret for her comments during an interview with Local 4's Christy McDonald (Detroit) and even called it "the worst thing I've done when it comes to him."

She added, "that was tough. I say all the time, probably not the best if your wife's name is in the media, if it's talking about sports. I felt pretty bad last week. I put my foot in my mouth pretty good last week."

Rams head coach Sean McVay previously told reporters he wasn't concerned and said, "I think if you know Kelly, I took that as more of a joke at the old man."

There is something to be said about generational divides, and NFL locker rooms are surely not immune to them. After all, Stafford is 35 years old and grew up in a different time than many of the youngest players on the team.

That is especially the case now, as the Rams drafted 14 players this year alone and have moved on from some of the veterans that were on the squad during the Super Bowl winning season in 2021.

Stafford won't even have one of the remaining familiar faces to throw to in Sunday's season opener, as McVay told reporters Cooper Kupp will miss the game against the Seattle Seahawks with a hamstring injury.

That means Stafford may have to look toward some of the younger players on the offense, which he indicated will not be a problem.

That is welcome news for Los Angeles, which is looking to improve on its 5-12 record from a season ago.

Last week, Kelly Stafford said on an episode of her podcast that husband Matthew Stafford was having a hard time relating to his younger Los Angeles Rams teammates.

On Thursday, she said during an interview with Local 4's Christy McDonald (Detroit) that she regretted those remarks. calling it "probably the worst thing I've done when it comes to [Stafford]."

She continued:

I spoke on a topic that I think, it's relatable, to the fact that it's hard to relate to someone who is ten years younger than you. And I do think that's entirely true. But I'm not in an NFL locker room, I'm not spending every day with these teammates.

That was tough. I say all the time, probably not the best if your wife's name is in the media, if it's talking about sports. I felt pretty bad last week. I put my foot in my mouth pretty good last week.

Here were a portion of Kelly Stafford's original comments:

It's kind of crazy, so Matthew's been in the league for a long time. He's like, 'The difference in the locker room has changed so significantly,' and they have a lot of rookies on their team this year, they're very young.

… But, he's like, 'I feel like I can't connect.' Because in the old days, you'd come out of practice, you'd shower, people would be playing cards, people would be interacting. Who knows what they're doing but they're doing something together, they're playing ping pong, they have a tournament going on, they're at least talking. He said now, they get done with practice, get done meetings during training camp, and they go straight to their phones, like no one looks up from their phones.

They say 'sir' to him and shit, He's like, 'No, we're on the same level here, we're both playing in this league, let me get to know you.' But he said it's so different and it's so hard to get to know these guys. He had a book printed out... of all the guys' faces and their names. He's like, 'I need to know their names.'

Rams' head coach Sean McVay added that he was "not concerned" and didn't take the comments too seriously.

"I think if you know Kelly, I took that as more of a joke at the old man," he told reporters. "And I'll be honest, there's a couple throws that he made during training camp where I wanted to say, 'Yes sir,' to him as well. He's done a great job being able to... I mean, if you watch and if you come out to camp, this guy's done a phenomenal job of leading, connecting with his teammates."

One of the realities of an NFL locker room is that it is a mix of various backgrounds, ages, experiences, etc. A 35-year-old Stafford is going to have a different set of experiences and cultural references than his younger teammates in their early 20s.

But it's also a quarterback's job to lead, set a culture and find a way to relate to those teammates. Which isn't to say that Stafford isn't attempting to do so, but his wife's comments made it sound like less of a joke at his expense and more of an honest assessment of his struggles to relate with this group of Rams.

Which all will be a moot point, of course, if the Rams go out and play well again after last year's 5-12 debacle. If those struggles continue, however, Kelly Stafford's comments may find themselves being revisited throughout the season.

Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford might be experiencing a generational divide as the franchise slowly pivots in a younger direction.

Stafford's wife, Kelly, detailed on her podcast The Morning After with Kelly Stafford (via Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated) how the 2014 Pro Bowler has sensed a shift within the team.

"He's like, 'The difference in the locker room has changed so significantly,'" Kelly said. "They have a lot of rookies on their team, they're very young. But he's like 'I feel like I can't connect. In the old days you'd come out of practice, you'd shower, and people would be playing cards, interacting... But now they get out of practice, and meetings during training camp, and they go straight to their phones.'"

Stafford has also apparently found it odd to be treated more deferentially, with some teammates addressing him with "sir."

The Rams have experienced quite the change in fortunes after winning Super Bowl LVI in February 2022. Whereas it looked like Los Angeles could at least contend for a few years, the organization is taking a step backward without embracing a full rebuild.

A'Shawn Robinson, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott and Troy Hill were among the notable departures in free agency, and Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Miami Dolphins. The Rams, meanwhile, welcomed in 14 new players through the 2023 NFL draft.

That kind of turnover can leave a veteran such as Stafford in a potentially difficult position. Whether he likes it or not, the 35-year-old is an elder statesman on this roster, and it sounds like the adjustment isn't coming easily.

Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off a disappointing 2022 season, but there are some around the NFL who believe he hasn't lost a step.

An NFL personnel director told The Athletic's Mike Sando that he believes Stafford, who was limited to nine games last year due to a concussion, can still be elite if he manages to stay healthy in 2023.

"If he doesn't get hurt, he is still a top-level quarterback," the personnel director said. "I think he can still sling it around. The offense was not predicated on the run first even when they won the Super Bowl, so I think any time he is healthy and back there able to deal it, you can win because of him."

Stafford had also undergone elbow surgery during the 2022 offseason, which potentially affected his performance during the year. The 35-year-old threw for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his nine appearances, and the Rams went 3-6 in games he played on their way to finishing with a 5-12 record.

Now that he's back at full strength, Stafford is hoping to return to the level that helped lead Los Angeles to a Super Bowl victory at the end of the 2021 season.

Stafford and the Rams will open their 2023 campaign against the NFC West-rival Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 10.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett has his "sharpest" day of training camp with the team on Saturday.

"You could see he's getting more comfortable with just some of the concepts, because it is very different," he told reporters. "Football is still football and when the ball is snapped there are some things that just kind of make sense to him. I think what you said, I think today was his best day, kind of like I mentioned. Those things I think are fair to say."

McVay added that Bennett is "pretty steady" and said that he liked about the rookie quarterback that "if a play doesn't go well, he's able to reset himself and go to the next play. You can definitely feel the athleticism show up that you guys saw on display throughout his career at Georgia and I think he's getting more and more comfortable."

Bennett, 25, was a two-time national champion as Georgia's starting quarterback, though there were questions about whether he would find a home in the NFL. The Rams answered that in a resounding (and surprising) way, using a fourth-round pick to draft him.

Now, he'll enter the 2023 season as Matt Stafford's backup, with the presumed hope that he'll be the long-term replacement. If he keeps having days like Saturday, he may meet that expectation.

Matthew Stafford has been involved in seemingly endless trade rumors since the end of the 2022 season, but the Los Angeles Rams have no intention of moving on from the veteran this year.

Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed Wednesday that teams reached out about a potential Stafford trade this offseason, but the franchise was "unanimous" in wanting to keep him on for at least one more season, per ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.

"There was a consistent and unanimous dialogue and understanding," McVay said. "When that March deadline came in terms of him being due the bonus that he's deserved and that he's earned, we were all in unanimous agreement that we wanted him to be the quarterback."

He added: "I know I can certainly speak for all of us and say we're excited as hell about Matthew Stafford. It's been great to see him feeling good, and I'm certainly really glad he's our quarterback, and that's where we're at."

Stafford was also asked if the Rams reached out to his agent about a potential trade this offseason.

"I don't know what the technical term of it is," he replied. "But we had conversations on that kind of stuff and I'll leave it at that."

Rams COO Kevin Demoff suggested last week during an appearance on the 11 Personnel podcast (h/t Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire) that he thought the Stafford trade rumors were overblown:

Those conversations frustrated me because I think it's trying to inject narratives that aren't there. I know there are reports that we tried to trade Matthew. We were not actively trying to trade Matthew. I know Les [Snead] has rebuffed that before. It's just not the case.

I think if you wanted to be in the reality of the NFL, there are 10 teams this year, at least, that are going to have different quarterbacks. We were obviously aggressive in remaking our roster in March. It would be naive to think that people didn't inquire about what was going to happen with the player who the year before won the Super Bowl. It's different than whether people inquire, whether there are casual conversations.

The Rams acquired Stafford in a trade with the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2021 season and he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the franchise in 2022 after helping L.A. win Super Bowl LVI.

However, Stafford was plagued by an elbow injury during the 2022 campaign and was eventually ruled out for the season following a Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints. His injury status coupled with the franchise's 5-12 finish cast doubt into his future with the franchise.

If the Rams bounce back in 2023, it's reasonable to believe Stafford will remain on the team's roster in 2024. If they continue to struggle, then it's possible the franchise will move on from the veteran signal-caller.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff have offered conflicting stories about the 35-year-old's contract status.

Speaking to reporters at training camp on Wednesday, Stafford said the Rams spoke with his camp this offseason about potentially restructuring his deal.

"I'm always in contact with them again on everything in those regards," he explained. "They did and I'll keep all that kind of stuff, those kinds of conversations in house. I'll just leave it at that."

Appearing on the 11 Personnel podcast (h/t Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire) last week, Demoff said there "were no discussions with Matthew about restructuring his contract" because he didn't have any guaranteed money left on the deal.

Asked more specifically about whether or not the team asked him to restructure his contract, Stafford acknowledged the two sides had talks: "I don't know what the technical term of it is, but we had conversations on that kind of stuff, and I'll leave it at that."

Stafford signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Rams in March 2022. The deal included $57 million fully guaranteed through the 2024 season between an option bonus that had to be picked up between March 15-17 and his base salary for next year that kicked in on March 17.

Michael Lombardi of The GM Shuffle podcast said on The Pat McAfee Show that the Rams "attempted with a lot of effort" to trade Stafford before that option bonus took effect.

Head coach Sean McVay was more diplomatic in his response when asked on Wednesday if Stafford was asked to restructure his contract.

"I know I can certainly speak for all of us and say we are excited as hell about Matthew Stafford," McVay told reporters, "it's been great to see him feeling good. I'm certainly really glad he's our quarterback."

Stafford is entering his third season with the Rams. He led the team to a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56 in his first year with the club.

Injuries limited Stafford to just nine games during the 2022 season. He threw for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in those starts last year.