Sean McVay admitted a couple of weeks ago that he’s in a better mood this offseason, and while that’s not exclusively because the Rams swapped Jared Goff out for Matthew Stafford, that change at quarterback certainly has something to do with his excitement for the upcoming season.
Stafford joins the Rams and after plenty of disappointing seasons in Detroit, expectations for the veteran quarterback and his new team are high. It’s easy to see why, with Stafford and McVay working together as the Rams offense looks to bounce back from two underwhelming seasons.
McVay has raved about Stafford all offseason, but he got especially candid in an interview with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
“Bro, this dude’s a bad MF-er,” McVay told Breer, laughing. “Whatever people say about him, as good as it can be, he’s even better than advertised. It makes sense to him. The guy’s ability to see the game, his ability to draw on his experiences, the feel that he has, it’s pretty special and unique. And man, his feel for people, his authentic way of connecting with his teammates, his coaches, this guy, it’s great being around him.”
Stafford is a consummate leader. Several of his former Lions teammates have come forward and talked about how great of a leader he is, including tight end T.J. Hockenson.
“He is probably the best dude, the best player I’ve ever been around,” Hockenson said in March. “Everybody on our team respected that guy. Like everybody loved him.”
Rams players have been equally complimentary of Stafford, which has everyone in Los Angeles excited. McVay seems to have his quarterback now, and though he had success with Goff and enjoyed their time together, this new era will hopefully bring a Super Bowl ring.