V-8 engine roars and other great takeaways from Rams-Cowboys joint practice

(2) - Matthew Stafford throws and catches his own TD pass

Okay. There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford and whether this is his final season, whether he wants to return in 2025, or even whether the LA Rams want to have him back in 2025. Well, based on what we witnessed in the Rams joint practice and scrimmage with the Dallas Cowboys, Stafford is having too much fun right now to think about any of that.

As he discussed and joked about at length during his press conference, QB Matthew Stafford threw a pass that was touched by a receiver, and then a defender, and ended back in the outstretched arms of Matthew Stafford for a touchdown. As you can see in the video below, Stafford was legally permitted to catch his own touchdown pass because it had come off the hands of a defensive back.

That's not something you see very often.

Let's face it. This was a joint practice and scrimmage. Nothing counted. It was purely practice, one more session of repetitions and drills that would allow the Rams and Cowboys players to enhance their readiness for the 2024 NFL season. So why was Stafford trying to score a touchdown?

Matthew Stafford is a born competitor. He loves to win, whether it's for the Lombardi Trophy or merely a game of pickup football. And you cannot remove that competitive edge from him. While some may speculate that Stafford's career may be nearing its end, I see a veteran whose passion for football burns as brightly as ever. And there is little chance that HC Sean McVay wants to start over with a young quarterback right now.

And that goes for 2025 as well.