Rams News: Sean McVay Expects Matthew Stafford At Training Camp Amid Contract Negotiations
Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay, Rams
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In today’s NFL, a team simply can not win consistently without excellent play from the quarterback position. And even though he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, there is no doubt that Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford remains among the best the NFL has to offer.

After a down year full of injuries, Stafford bounced back in a big way last season, helping lead the Rams to the playoffs and being named a Pro Bowler. Stafford and the Rams are now in the midst of negotiations for a contract extension and as is often the case with these things, there is a concern that the quarterback may hold out of training camp until a new deal is reached.

Head coach Sean McVay, however, doesn’t believe that will be the case. “That’s my expectation, yes,” McVay responded when asked if he expects Stafford to attend camp even if a deal hasn’t been reached.

McVay believing Stafford will be in attendance by no means assures that will be the case. But Stafford has been in attendance throughout Rams offseason workouts and McVay had nothing but praise for the way his quarterback has conducted himself as a leader on the team

“Like I said, we’ll keep things internally,” McVay added when asked for an update on negotiations with Stafford. “I couldn’t be more impressed with the way that he’s handled it, the way that he’s led and been here every single day doing his thing. And that sure means a lot to me.”

Stafford is a captain of this team and his leadership is even more important now following the retirement of Aaron Donald. This is a crucial year for the Rams as they look to build on last season’s success and Stafford being locked in and performing to his abilities is a necessity.

Hopefully the two sides are able to come to terms and this won’t be an issue once camp kicks off so McVay and Stafford can put all of their focus on the play on the field.

Sean McVay wants Matthew Stafford to be Rams quarterback ‘as long as he wants to play’

Just how much longer Matthew Stafford wants to continue his career is unknown as he is 36 years old and has taken a lot of damage over the years. But one thing that is for sure is that Sean McVay wants him in a Rams uniform for however long that is.

In a recent interview, McVay said that as long as Stafford wants to play football, he wants him to be the Rams quarterback. McVay believes Stafford played some of the best ball of his career down the stretch of last season while also being an excellent leader for the team.