Jim Caldwell Recalls Experiences Coaching Matthew Stafford

Former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell recalls his time coaching Matthew Stafford.

Jim Caldwell hasn’t won a Super Bowl as a head coach, losing, 31-17, in his only trip with the Indianapolis Colts. He did win two as an assistant coach, one with the Colts and another with the Ravens.

He had another reason to celebrate a championship, as one of his former quarterbacks took home the title in Super Bowl 56. He coached Matthew Stafford during his tenure as the leader of the Lions, spanning from 2014-17.

Now with the Los Angeles Rams, Stafford earned his first ever Super Bowl ring, with a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Caldwell hopped on Sirius XM Radio to speak with hosts Mark Dominik and Lance Medow, discussing the impact Stafford had on him as a coach, as well as other storylines around the NFL.

“It was extremely gratifying,” Caldwell said when asked of Stafford’s championship. “I was really excited to see him do well, and I think most of the guys that have been around him certainly feel that way. Also, because he’s one of those guys that does everything right. Hard worker, he’s disciplined, loves the game, is passionate about the game. And, not only that, he’s a great teammate. So, you can’t help but root for him.”

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Stafford spent the first 12 seasons of his career in Detroit, but took the team to the playoffs just three times. He never notched a playoff win in three appearances, but went 4-0 in his first postseason with the Rams to fuel his team to a championship.

His arm skills were on display in the Super Bowl, as he tossed three touchdowns. Two scores went to Cooper Kupp, who took home Most Valuable Player honors.

“He’s always certainly been real confident in his abilities,” Caldwell said. “He’s very smart, he works and he studies. But, the strong arm obviously, he could sometimes get the ball in areas. And, what you’ve seen, obviously this year, because the limelight is on him a bit more, he can get it in tight windows that maybe no one else would even take that chance. Simply because of the fact that it’s either his no-look artistry, or his strong arm and his receivers. But yeah, he’s always kind of had that flair. It was an old quote that Tom Moore used to always say dealing with quarterbacks. He said you want them to play smart, not scared, and that’s what we tried to do with Matthew, giving him leeway and liberty to do the things that came natural to him and not be fearful of it. Yet, try to make wise decisions.”

Stafford was traded to the Rams in January 2021 for a multi-draft pick package. Heading into that first season in Los Angeles, Caldwell said he believes Stafford was under a lot of pressure, given his new team’s dedication to winning now.

“Yeah, I do think that obviously there was a lot of pressure, even though you could not tell looking at him. And, he’s always been able to handle that extremely well,” Caldwell told Dominik and Medow. “He manages stress extremely well under all circumstances. It’s always been, I think, a real positive trait of his.”

Caldwell shared an anecdote with Dominik and Medow about his time in Detroit, speaking on his relationship with Stafford.

“And, with Matthew, what I did is I looked at every single one of his throws throughout his entire career. I made notes on this one before I even got the job,” Caldwell said. “So, I had an opportunity to sit down and visit with him a little bit. And, just talk about the things that I saw where we thought we could make some improvement. But, the big thing was that when you look at him, you could see he had all of the things that you needed to be successful in that position. He had the smarts, he had study habits, he had the intangibles, and obviously had the physical gifts.”

He said he had heard criticisms from those around the organization, but knew based on the signal caller’s work ethic and attention to detail, he would turn out alright.

Based on the results from his first season in L.A., it’s safe to say Caldwell was right.

“I said, ‘Here’s what I see from the guy. It would be all positives.' After a while, we’re not gonna have to make excuses for him," Caldwell said. "I think he’s going to show you what he’s all about. Now, it took a hair longer, and in a different location, for him to do exactly that. But, all of us that have been with him, that coached him, played with him, it was not a surprise to see him doing what he’s doing.”

Caldwell also spoke on the recent lawsuit brought about by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, which alleged racism among the NFL in its hiring processes.

“I do think that anything that will shed more light on the disparity between the number of African Americans that we haven't had coaching positions throughout the years, you know, to have, what 20 or 15 spots in the last, out of the last 129,” Caldwell said. “Obviously, there is an issue there. And, we've known that there's been an issue there, and that's why the Rooney Rule was put in place. That's why there was some adjustments made to the Rooney Rule a couple years ago, to try to incentivize franchises hiring men of color in. And, I do think that, you know, this particular suit, perhaps will shed a little bit more light on it. And, the other thing I wanted to say on coach Flores’ behalf is I've known him only as a man of integrity, who is smart, who is principled and has always been credible.

“So you know, oftentimes, they get vilified for things that when guys step out that really takes courage, and what he's doing right now is a very courageous act. And then oftentimes, you know, they'll start to throw in some negatives about this person or that person. But, I can just tell you that he's a quality person who has really no fear, and particularly when it comes to doing things that he thinks are right.”

Caldwell interviewed with the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars, but was not hired for either head coaching position this hiring cycle. His last season in the NFL was his last one with the Lions, when he was fired after a 9-7 finish to the 2017 season.