Rams' Sean McVay Brushes Off Matthew Stafford 'Connecting' Comments
As the Los Angeles Rams head into the season with a much younger roster, the few veterans on the team may be feeling a bit of culture shock.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, or more accurately, his wife Kelly Stafford, made headlines when she claimed her 35-year-old husband was having trouble connecting with his younger teammates. On her podcast, "The Morning After With Kelly Stafford," Kelly said the generational gap between her husband and his teammates has resulted in a divide, with one sticking point being Stafford's teammates calling him "sir."
Kelly's comments understandably rose some eyebrows, both inside and outside the Rams' fanbase. For coach Sean McVay, though, Kelly's comments were more of a joke than anything.
“No, I'm not concerned because I think if you know Kelly, I took that as more of a joke at the old man, 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," McVay told reporters Tuesday. "If you watch and if you come out to camp, this guy's done a phenomenal job of leading, connecting with his teammates."
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY
McVay later added that Stafford hasn't looked any older on the field either. In fact, he said that Stafford is actually looking more mobile than he did in previous years.
“I think he's done a great job," McVay said. "I think he's been able to really be more active in the offseason than in previous years and no matter how great you are when you're able to work on your craft, you're going to get better at it. I think he's done an excellent job."
It's difficult to fully judge McVay's comments on the matter. Kelly didn't sound like she was joking, but McVay claims to know her well enough to tell that it was a joke. Alternatively, this could be a classic case of waving off a serious issue as just a gag.
With Stafford not playing at all during the preseason, it's nearly impossible to gauge his communication with his teammates beyond what he and others say. When the Rams kick off the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 10, the truth should become much clearer.
