Jalen Ramsey on His New QB: ‘He Definitely Got a Swag About Him’

Getty Jalen Ramsey swats a pass intended for De'Andre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals during a January 2021 contest. The Rams cornerback said in a Tuesday podcast interview that he likes the confidence of his new quarterback.

Add Jalen Ramsey to the growing list of Los Angeles Rams who love what they have seen out of Matthew Stafford.

Ramsey joined former L.A. Ram Aqib Talib on the Tuesday evening edition of Talib’s “Catchin’ Fades” podcast. The six-year cornerback, who is entering his third season in L.A., spoke of Stafford’s play and confidence near the 53 minute mark of the interview.

Throughout the entire offseason, many associated with the Rams – from head coach Sean McVay, to incoming Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce, to his newest receiver DeSean Jackson, to his new blindside protector Andrew Whitworth all the way to one of his most ardent supporters, NBC Sports analyst and former NFL QB Chris Simms – have voiced their approval of what they’ve seen out of the longtime Detroit Lions quarterback even before he throws his first pass in the L.A. Ram uniform.

But as Ramsey put it to Talib during the interview: “He definitely got a swag about him.”

Breaking Down Stafford’s ‘Swag’

Stafford built his career feeding the football to tall wide receivers and throwing for more than 3,700 yards in eight of his 11 seasons in the Motor City.

But Ramsey said it’s not just Stafford’s arm that gives him his QB spark. It’s having strong confidence in his ability, also known as the short version of the word “swagger.”

“He got a little lowkey swag about him, like a little in control – like, ‘This is me. I got this,’” Ramsey explained to Talib. “He feels confident that he’s rocking with a better overall team and he’s going to be able to put it together.”

But having that very confident side isn’t the only thing that Ramsey notices about his new signal-caller.

Having that ‘Chip’ on the Shoulder

Ramsey recognizes a more motivated version of Stafford in his transition from the Motor City to L.A.

“And he’s got that chip on his shoulder, to be honest with you,” Ramsey said. “He’s got that chip on his shoulder to show people – like, ‘Man, y’all say I got everything else but I can’t win. Alright. Now I’m in an organization that do things the right way.

“Matthew Stafford, he hear his record, with wins and losses. So I feel like it’s going to put that chip on his shoulder and something positive is going to come out of that,” Ramsey continued. “Same with Sean, too, though. Because now it feel like, ‘Hey, y’all said we couldn’t do this. Now watch us work.’ I think some positives going to come out of that.”

While Talib was replaced by Ramsey in 2019 and never were Ram teammates, the two have one thing in common: Playing with Jared Goff. Both still hold great admiration for the ex-Ram QB who has since replaced Stafford in Detroit, yet both cornerbacks acknowledge a change needed to be made behind center. And both Talib and Ramsey are embracing the newest QB who, according to Ramsey, is bringing swagger and a something-to-prove mindset.

“I think so. It’s a different vibe,” Ramsey said. “You were there with J.G. (Jared Goff) and I rock with J.G. I think J.G. showed he can be a winner. I’ve got a lot of respect for J.G. But like you said, they felt that they needed to make a change, especially Sean and how he feels about the offense and his quarterback, and he feels like this is his guy. Stafford, he definitely got a swag about him.”