To say Sean McVay sent a stirring message to the Los Angeles Rams‘ brass to nab Matthew Stafford would be an understatement.
McVay’s speech wasn’t just in the fiery category, but sent a scorching plea to the Rams in the now well-publicized Cabo San Lucas trip in January 2021 that helped lure Stafford to the “Rams House.”
The Profanity Laced Message That Sparked the Trade
In a revealing interview with ESPN NFL senior writer Seth Wickersham that was released on the morning of Tuesday, August 9, McVay detailed the conversation he had with members of the Rams’ front office before the franchise pulled off the blockbuster trade that sent Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions for Stafford.
McVay first admitted to Wickersham that he was “a few tequilas in” after a night of chatting, boozing and watching the sun set with Stafford in the same venue. But then came the FaceTime call the moment he walked into his hotel room.
“Here’s the f—ing deal, OK? We can sit here and exist, and be OK winning nine to 11 games, and losing in the f—ing divisional round and feel like, ‘Oh, everything’s OK.’ Or, we could let our motherf—ing nuts hang, and go trade for this f—ing quarterback, and give ourselves a chance to go win a f—ing world championship. You ready to f—ing do this or what?” McVay bluntly asked.
And what was the response from the Rams who received that enthusiastic NSFW speech from McVay? Wickersham detailed what happened next.
“Laughs followed, not pushback,” Wickersham wrote.
Wickersham followed with “Stafford was an obvious upgrade. And within days, he was a Ram.”
The move, again, was a bold one considering how successful the Rams were in the early stages of the Goff/McVay partnership — which included winning the NFC West title in McVay’s first season followed by the NFC title run of the 2018 campaign, only to fall to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 53.
And on that trip to Cabo, Wickersham wrote how McVay was “at his darkest” following the divisional round loss to the Green Bay Packers. Plus, “he had hit a wall with Goff, and knew he needed to move on from him, but didn’t know how — not with the four-year, $134 million extension that Goff had signed a little over a year earlier, a deal McVay had championed.”
Yet, Wickersham detailed how opposing coaches were amazed at how McVay found ways to work with Goff, despite the wealthy deal.
“Smart opposing coaches, especially in New England, were as impressed with how McVay managed to solve for Goff’s limits as they were confused by the contract the quarterback received,” Wickersham wrote. “Everything McVay wanted to be seemed to be slipping away, and he was not blameless.”
And then, the moment McVay saw Stafford…”his mood picked up” especially after learning Stafford wanted to leave the Lions. It wasn’t just Cabo that fueled the trade, but McVay’s energy in that FaceTime call.
How Did Stafford Look in Final Camp in Front of Fans?
Heavy on Rams was on hand for the last practice for the general public.
Stafford was clad in full pads and helmet in the final training camp practice in front of fans at UC Irvine’s Crawford Field on Tuesday — but for a limited time.
The starting QB has been dealing with elbow tendinitis in his throwing arm, which has got him to wear a long sleeve over his elbow. Yet, his first pass was an attempted deep strike that fell incomplete, but drew a penalty during team drills. His second pass? That one drew lots of cheers:
For anyone asking about Matthew Stafford’s elbow:
First pass: Deep ball for PI.
A little bit later: Deep strike to Allen Robinson that drew huge fan reaction.
The Rams Twitter account managed to capture that image:
Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1
Stafford also delivered this strike to Tyler Higbee during 11-on-11:
Stafford ➡️ @Ty_Higs19. 🎯
Stafford, though, was later seen working out his elbow including lifting a kettlebell with his right arm over his head to strengthen the ailment. John Wolford and Bryce Perkins helped handle the bulk of the QB duties.
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Sean McVay Details Scorching FaceTime Call Before Huge Rams Deal