Rams head coach Sean McVay laughed off Kelly Stafford’s recent comments that her husband, quarterback Matthew Stafford, is having difficulty connecting with his younger teammates.
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, McVay was asked about the remarks made on Kelly’s “Morning After” podcast, to which the mother of four explained Stafford, 35, has been going to great lengths to get to know the Rams’ young additions.
“No, I’m not concerned because I think if you know Kelly, I took that as more of a joke at the old man,” McVay said, according to NBC Sports. “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 was referring to a specific comment Kelly made on her podcast, stating how Stafford’s younger teammates refer to him as “sir.”
McVay, who won a Super Bowl with Stafford in February 2022, also praised the 15-year quarterback for his leadership.
“He’s done a great job being able to… I mean, if you watch and if you come out to camp, this guy’s done a phenomenal job of leading, connecting with his teammates,” McVay said. “I think it’s one of those deals that becomes a fun narrative in a dead period.
“And I know Kelly well enough to know that she was probably taking a good old rib at the old man as her husband’s getting older playing, but this guy’s done a phenomenal job and I know how much he loves his teammates and how much they love him. That is the least of my concerns.”
In fact, McVay said Stafford’s ability to connect with his teammates on and off the field comes seamlessly to him.
“He’s one of the most emotionally intelligent and authentically good people that I’ve been around,” McVay said. “His ability to connect on a personal and a football level with guys, that comes really seamless to him.
“… And there’s a reverence and a respect that he’s earned because of what he’s done in this league. And it’s no different than really the reverence and respect they have for other guys that have been veterans and that have performed at a high level because of the way they go about their work day in and day out.
“… If anybody that’s been out there, if you’re saying, ‘He’s not enjoying and he’s not connecting,’ then you haven’t been watching the same things that I’ve been watching.”
The Rams roster has seen major turnover since its championship run.
The team selected 14 players in the 2023 NFL Draft after missing the playoffs last season.
Stafford also sat out the conclusion of the 2022 season with a spinal cord contusion, as Los Angeles finished with a dismal 5-12 record.
Kelly, who has been married to Stafford since 2015, ignited chatter earlier this week after commenting on the evolution of the NFL locker room.
“It’s kind of crazy, so Matthew’s been in the league for a long time,” Kelly said. “He’s like, ‘The difference in the locker room has changed so significantly,’ and they have a lot of rookies on their team this year, they’re very young.
“… But, he’s like, ‘I feel like I can’t connect.’ Because in the old days, you’d come out of practice, you’d shower, people would be playing cards, people would be interacting. Who knows what they’re doing but they’re doing something together, they’re playing ping pong, they have a tournament going on, they’re at least talking. He said now, they get done with practice, get done meetings during training camp, and they go straight to their phones, like no one looks up from their phones.”
Kelly later explained that her husband was struggling to get his teammates to see him as their equal.
“They say ‘sir’ to him and s–t, He’s like, ‘No, we’re on the same level here, we’re both playing in this league, let me get to know you,’” Kelly said. “But he said it’s so different and it’s so hard to get to know these guys. He had a book printed out … of all the guys’ faces and their names. He’s like, ‘I need to know their names.”
The Rams open the 2023 season on the road against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 10.
