The Los Angeles Rams are very much a team in flux at the moment. Entering the offseason with uncertainty surrounding their head coach, quarterback, and star defensive player was an inauspicious start. Now preparing for voluntary OTAs, veteran QB Matthew Stafford shares his thoughts on the Rams’ 2023 outlook.
Los Angeles Rams 2023 Outlook, According to Matthew Stafford
The Rams made history in 2022 — just not the kind of history teams like to make. After winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, the Rams’ follow-up campaign was the worst in NFL history.
LA’s fall from grace was fast and steep. The Rams went from on top of the world, hoisting the Lombardi trophy, to winning just five games and being out of the playoff hunt by early December.
After the Super Bowl, it felt like the sky was falling in Los Angeles. Sean McVay was rumored to be retiring and taking a position in the booth. Rumors were swirling that Stafford might retire. Aaron Donald had to shut down his own retirement rumors. At the end of the day, the band is coming back for at least one more run.
On Monday, April 17, Stafford spoke to reporters about the upcoming season. He talked about how he’s currently feeling but did not want to discuss what went wrong last season.
Last year, offseason reports suggested serious concern surrounding Stafford’s elbow. He was seemingly able to play through it, but according to Stafford, it definitely hampered him. When training camp opened last July, Stafford couldn’t do as much as he’d liked to because of the elbow.
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Heading into the 2023 season, it’s pretty clear Stafford understands where he’s at in his career. “I’m not 25, but I definitely feel good.” It’s not a surprising admission — Stafford is, in fact, far from being a young, spry 25-year-old. Same, Matt. Same.
But Stafford also sounds like a guy who is far from done. “[I’m]probably not a human JUGS machine like I used to be but can still get it out there and throw it around a bunch. So, it’ll be a process, as it always is, to try and stay as healthy as you possibly can at all times. But I definitely feel like I can go out there and compete and do everything I want to do, which is fun and exciting for me.”
Stafford added that he was “really confident” in coming back this season and was ready to play as soon as he was cleared. At 35 years old, there’s no reason Stafford can’t play at a high level for another 4-6 years, as long as his health cooperates.
When his career began way back in 2009, Stafford struggled to stay on the field. He was even slapped with the dreaded and overused “injury-prone” label. After missing 19 of his first 32 career games, Stafford went eight straight seasons without missing a single contest. He then missed half of the 2019 season but played every possible game the next two seasons.
Stafford just wasn’t healthy entering the 2022 campaign. Football is a grueling sport. Every player deals with nicks and bruises throughout the season. It’s exceedingly difficult to make it through a full season when a guy is already hurt before it begins. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear now the 2022 season was never going to end well for Stafford.
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With that said, Stafford sounds like a rejuvenated man, which is awesome to hear, given that it’s only April. If he’s feeling as good as he is now, by the time September rolls around, Stafford should be as close to 100% as he can be at this point in his career.
“All I know is that I’ve put a lot of work and time into trying to feel as good as I can for right now,” Stafford said. “I do feel about as good I can for right now, and it’s exciting for me. It was a lot of hard work, some tough times, and just excited to be where I am right now.”
The improvement of Stafford’s health also appears to be doing wonders for his mental state.
“Just building the relationships with coaches, players, whoever it is, just being able to spend time with those guys, be in a good headspace as far as how I’m feeling, what I’m able to accomplish when I’m here, all those kinds of things. That puts me in a good mood, gets me excited to be here, and helps me make sure that my attitude, my energy level is at the correct place every single time I come in here. And I feel like it’s there right now.”
Two months ago, there was a distinct possibility the Rams were ready to blow it up. Now, Rams fans can breathe easy that this team is back and, health permitting, ready to contend for a championship once again.
