McVay Addresses Quarterback's Status
Sean McVay is heading into his ninth season as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. In six of his first eight years at the helm, the Rams have made the postseason. The high point came with their Super Bowl LVI win in February 2022.
Expectations remain high in Los Angeles as the Rams look for a third straight playoff appearance. Last season, they beat the Minnesota Vikings in the first round before falling to the Eagles in the NFC divisional round. That postseason run followed a 10-7 regular season that included an NFC West title.
Matthew Stafford returns for his fifth season as the Rams' starting quarterback. He's racked up 34 regular-season wins since joining the team. Stafford is currently managing some back soreness. While there's been no setback, the Rams are being cautious with his workload to ensure he's ready for the season opener on September 7 against the Houston Texans.
McVay spoke with reporters at training camp on Saturday and shared an update on the 37-year-old quarterback.
'He's still good,' McVay said. 'We're gonna be week to week with him, with the end goal September 7 when we open up against the Texans.'
McVay also addressed Stafford's durability and the team's modified approach this summer.
'He's going into Year 17. When you really look at it, he feels really good about a plan,' he said.
While Stafford rests, Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett are seeing time with the first-team offense. Garoppolo, 33, has 64 career starts. He played one game for the Rams last season, completing 27-of-41 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rams begin their preseason schedule on August 9 against the Dallas Cowboys. They'll also face the Chargers and Browns before kicking off the regular season.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
What are the odds the Rams trade for Micah Parsons?
Let's just put this disclaimer out there first: The Los Angeles Rams probably aren't going to trade for Dallas Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons. Yes, Parsons requested a trade from the Cowboys after contract negotiations broke down. Yes, the Rams are in a win-now mode with Super Bowl aspirations. But that doesn't automatically mean the Rams will try to land Parsons in a blockbuster deal. Vegas seems to agree. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams have +1800 odds to be Parsons' next team. That ranked seventh on the initial odds list provided by the sportsbook. The rest of the odds went: Cowboys (-300), Philadelphia Eagles (+1000), New England Patriots (+1000), Los Angeles Chargers (+1500), Arizona Cardinals (+1600) and San Francisco 49ers (+1600). Now, the seventh-best odds are still pretty good relative to a 32-team league. But it's more likely those odds are a testament to the Rams' history as a trade partner and their pursuit of a Super Bowl in 2025 than them being a legitimate suitor for Parsons. The Rams also don't really need another starting edge rusher. They already have 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse (who Parsons admittedly loves as a player) as well as Byron Young and Braden Fiske. L.A. also just drafted Josaiah Stewart in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, that depth doesn't preclude them from using any of those players (save for Verse) in a package for Parsons — especially because all of them are on rookie deals and Parsons will be looking for a record-setting extension. All things considered, this is a fool's bet for anyone who seriously thinks the Rams are a true favorite to trade for Parsons. But, anything is possible in the NFL.


USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Should Rams make a play for Micah Parsons after Cowboys star requests a trade?
Parsons made it clear he wants out of Dallas. Could the Rams be a fit? Micah Parsons made headlines on Friday when he officially requested a trade from the Dallas Cowboys due to their ongoing contract dispute. The two sides are reportedly far apart on a potential deal and Parsons made it clear he no longer wants to play for the team that drafted him. Is this a golden opportunity for the Los Angeles Rams to swoop in with one of their patented big splashes? It's the type of move Les Snead has never been afraid to make. The Rams traded for Von Miller during the 2021 season and he springboarded them to a Super Bowl ring. They also traded for Jalen Ramsey in 2019, signed Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021 and acquired Brandin Cooks in 2018. Parsons is in a class of his own as a trade chip, being one of the best defenders anywhere in the league. He's a legitimate game-changer, someone offenses have to account for on every snap – just as they did with Aaron Donald each week. Not to mention, he's only 26 years old and entering the prime of his career. Every season, he's one of the favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year and seems destined to win it at some point in the near future. For a team like the Rams that already has the pieces to win a Super Bowl, Parsons would put them over the top. It would just take a lot to pry him from the Cowboys, who are reportedly not interested in trading him (obviously). The starting point in trade negotiations would be at least a first- and second-round pick. After that, the Rams could include a player or two, or potentially another first-rounder. That's a high price to pay for a player in the final year of his contract, but that's what it takes to acquire proven pass rushers in today's NFL – especially ones as young as Parsons. The biggest hurdle would be a contract extension. Parsons is on the books for $24 million this year alone and he likely wants to be the highest-paid pass rusher in the league on his next deal. T.J. Watt holds that crown at $41 million per year, a number Parsons will target in negotiations. The problem for the Rams is they have core players to pay in the coming years. Kyren Williams, Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake will be free agents next offseason. Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Kobie Turner and Byron Young are all eligible for extensions after this season and could be seeking new deals, too. The next year, it could be Jared Verse and Braden Fiske's turn. As it stands right now, the Rams probably won't be able to pay all of those players. Add Parsons to the mix and it becomes nearly impossible. One way they could make it work is by potentially dealing one or two of those players to lighten the load salary cap-wise, but the Rams may not want to part with their young talent. It's a long shot for the Rams to acquire Parsons but with Snead, nothing can be ruled out.


USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Micah Parsons is a huge fan of Jared Verse, especially after watching one specific play
Count Parsons among those who were blown away by Verse's rookie year NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@RamsNFL DE Jared Verse debuts at No. 53! @NFLFilms Jared Verse exceeded all expectations in his first year with the Los Angeles Rams, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and emerging as one of the game's best young defenders. He had the attention of every offensive tackle last season, with the recently retired Terron Armstead mentioning Verse as a player he's glad he never has to face again. Micah Parsons was impressed by Verse's rookie year, too. The Dallas Cowboys superstar praised Verse in an interview for the NFL Top 100 series, pointing out one play in particular that caught his eye. Parsons remembered watching Verse pancake Jordan Mailata when the Rams faced the Eagles, putting the 6-foot-8, 365-pound tackle on his back. 'I saw when he pancaked Jordan Mailata. I said, 'All right, he's not afraid to run through somebody's chest. This is the type of dude you want on your team.' Verse admits he had his own 'welcome to the NFL moment' during his rookie year, but Parsons saw that play as Verse welcoming Mailata to his world. 'Usually rookies get a 'welcome to the NFL' moment, but he just welcomed a vet to his world. He's like, 'I'm a rookie but I'm here to play football.' That was pretty dope to see,' Parsons said. Verse only had 4.5 sacks in the regular season, which wasn't close to the league lead. But he was tops in the NFL with 89 total pressures including the playoffs, according to Pro Football Focus. That shows the type of impact he had consistently for the Rams. 'I don't look at sacks with him. Sacks is such an odd way of looking at statistics, but his dominance, the way he gets to the quarterback, him being fearless and wanting to attack,' he added. Verse is already a star but he's well on his way to being in the conversation as one of the best overall defenders in the NFL already. Parsons is in that top tier so when he talks about a pass rusher, it carries weight.