The Los Angeles Rams are seeing a different side of Matthew Stafford, and the implications for the upcoming season are significant.
Stafford is in his 18th NFL season, and is coming off an MVP-winning campaign. He is surrounded by one of the best rosters in the NFL, if not the top supporting cast, and has one of the most offensively innovative play-callers in the league in head coach Sean McVay.
It is easy to see why he would look like he has turned back the clock this year.
Matthew Stafford Looking ‘Refreshed’ in Rams Training Camp
GettyMatthew Stafford looks dialed in early on in training camp.
Stafford is in Year 6 with the Rams. Both sides are hoping this year they can get back to the Super Bowl like they did in 2021. Over the past two years, the Rams have navigated uncertainty around Stafford at this time.
Injuries and trade speculation marred the 2025 offseason.
Stafford is healthy this time around. He is also firmly locked in with the Rams and vice versa. That reality led to an encouraging scene during training camp.
“Matthew Stafford, coming off of an MVP season, looks refreshed, looks like he’s in shape. He’s healthier at this point in the calendar than he has been in a couple of years,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said in a video on August 1.
“Just talking to him before practice today, you really sense he’s enjoying being here. He’s embracing everything about being a football player. The end’s probably near, but he looks like he could play a few more years. And the expectation is, health permitting–which is the case with every player–that he’s going to be able to build off of a really, really great 2025 season, and pick up where he left off when he was playing at an extraordinarily high level.”
It helps that he has McVay to help manage his health and continue to grow as a player.
Matthew Stafford explains to @robertmays how he’s learned from Sean McVay during their time together in Los Angeles.
Breer doubled down on his Stafford take in written form.
“Stafford’s presence certainly has been felt,” Breer wrote on August 1. “Last year, he had perhaps his best season as a pro at 37 years old, and he has been sharp and locked in early this summer. He’s also as healthy as he’s been at this point in the calendar in a few years, and if he stays that way, there’s every reason to believe he’ll be every bit as good in 2026. More than anything, there’s a sense that he’s really enjoying the game, and the team, and was at the very top of his game the last time we saw him, through the Rams’ playoff run.”
Rams QB2 Battle Taking Interesting Turn
GettyStetson Bennett IV has taken advantage of his experience in Rams training camp.
The Rams are not oblivious to the reality that Stafford is closer to the end than the beginning of his career. Moreover, they planned accordingly, selecting Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick of the 2026 draft.
However, during the early going of training camp, it has been 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett IV who has looked like the more-experienced passer that he is.
Simpson, meanwhile, has understandably experienced some inconsistency.
“Simpson has probably had the most up-and-down camp of the group,” Scoutd posted on X on August 1. “There have been some legitimate ‘wow’ throws mixed in with some classic rookie mistakes. The encouraging part is that he seems to be picking up Sean McVay’s offense pretty quickly. The biggest issue right now has been mechanical consistency, which has shown up in stretches.”
Bennett does not have any regular-season experience. However, he has played in McVay’s system for the past three years. That includes extensive preseason snaps. At any rate, the Rams hope Stafford stays healthy. That way, they do not have to turn to Bennett or Simpson just yet.
Matthew Stafford Sends Clear Signal During Rams Training Camp