LOS ANGELES — Looking back at the early days of his career in Detroit, long before he was making jokes about the gray in his beard like he did on Monday evening at Day 2 of Rams training camp, Matthew Stafford was focused on carving out a path to success as an NFL quarterback.
Execution was important and so was finding his footing within the team, he said as he recalled what it was like as a young pro. Something as rudimentary as remembering the play calls as training camp got underway, was also top of mind.
“I remember being really young and, and just trying to figure it out, you know?” said the reigning league MVP, who signed a one-year, $55 million contract extension with the Rams in the offseason that will keep him in Los Angeles through the 2027 season.
Becoming an older, still ultra-productive player comes with its perks. The crowd roared with every pass Stafford completed on Monday at Loyola Marymount.
Veteran stature, however, also comes with its challenges – Stafford missed all of 2025 training camp with an aggravated spinal disc and back discomfort. Now 38, he will be practicing twice during every four-day block of training camp, an attempt to keep him fresh leading into the team’s Sept. 11 season opener in Melbourne, Australia against the San Francisco 49ers, Rams head coach Sean McVay said before camp began.
Day 2 was Stafford’s first practice after being unavailable on Sunday. Stafford’s training camp focus, dating to his youthful ups and downs with the Lions, remains. But the mindset has morphed with age, he said.
“I’m in that point where I’m trying to make sure that, yeah, I want to do my job as good as I possibly can, I want to continue to try to play at a high level, but I want to elevate the guys around me too, right?” Stafford said. “I want to help our defense, I want to help our offense and try to push our team.”
Both sides of the equation were on display on Monday.
Stafford joked about being happy that he wasn’t the offensive linemen tasked with blocking star defensive end Myles Garrett, calling the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a “game-changing player.” Stafford, who led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes last season, found wide receiver Puka Nacua for a pair of deep connections, one of which was a stellar one-handed grab in traffic.
A few plays later, cornerback Trent McDuffie ran stride for stride with Nacua before punching the ball out in coverage to break up what would have been another connection between star quarterback and wideout.
“It’s what football is all about,” Stafford said of McDuffie’s play. “It would be concerning if we were out there just launching it over our defense, you know what I mean? It’s so competitive out there, and that’s so fun. … That kind of back-and-forth is fun for us as players, and Sean does a great job of cultivating that energy for us.”
Stafford didn’t appear to have missed a beat as he shoveled the ball to Nacua and wide receiver Davante Adams, repeating what worked so well on their way to the NFC championship game. McVay said he thought Stafford “looked good” for his first outing of the summer.
“He was sharp,” McVay said of Stafford, who is entering his sixth season with the Rams and 18th overall in the NFL. “I thought he distributed the ball really well, played with timing and rhythm. He looked really crisp, had a really good day.”
Stafford is still the heartbeat of the Rams’ offense. Don’t let the gray hairs fool you.
“I’m lulling (the defense) to sleep with the gray,” Stafford said. “Lulling them to sleep.”
NOTES
Quarterback Stetson Bennett IV took all but one second-team set on Monday, while rookie Ty Simpson took the final set of the day … McVay said he didn’t want to “pigeon hole” himself into an approach on which backup quarterback candidate gets more reps. … “We’ll just kind of continue to evaluate, but being able to figure out what (the reps variation) looks like is important,” McVay said. …
Edge rusher Byron Young practiced Sunday but did not practice Monday as the Rams attempt to manage his knee and keep him fresh for the season, he said. Young dealt with knee soreness in the same knee into the postseason. … Young is in his contract year, but said his focus is on the season ahead. … “The way I see it, regardless, I’m going to have to play out this year,” Young said. “Everything is going to work itself out. It’s part of the game, but regardless if I get a contract right now or later on, I still got to play this year. So, I’m just focused on this season and finishing the year strong and getting to the (Super) Bowl.”
Rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels had a notable day, catching most of what Bennett threw his way during a strong practice effort. … “He’s done a good job,” McVay said of the sixth-round pick. “He’s a mature rookie. … I’m excited about CJ, and he’ll be another guy, when you talk about the importance of the preseason, he’ll be a guy I’m looking forward to watching play and obviously in these practice settings as well.” …
Safety Kamren Kinchens secured an interception during 11-on-11 drills for the second consecutive day. …
The Rams signed safety Alex Cook and offensive lineman Bill Murray on Monday afternoon, the team announced. … Cook, 27, spent most of 2026 playing in the UFL for the Birmingham Stallions where he recorded 45 tackles. … Murray, a 29-year-old guard, has spent time with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears since 2020 and has appeared in four regular-season games. …
LA28 and the Rams donated 1,000 tickets to the 2028 Olympics to local non-profit organizations on Monday afternoon with McVay delivering some to unsuspecting kids after practice.