Sean McVay nearly fell out of his chair over this Matthew Stafford rumor

When it comes to the respect that Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has for his starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford, it's off the charts. It was McVay, and not general manager Les Snead, who lobbied owner Stanley Kroenke to authorize the trade package to acquire Stafford from the Lions. The story since that trade has proven to be a win for Los Angeles.

So it's understandable that Coach McVay is a bit protective of his veteran quarterback. And when the team struggled to negotiate a contract, as well as get Stafford's back injury under control, the head coach was deeply involved in the events.

That came to the forefront when Coach McVay revealed rumors that his 37-year-old quarterback had heard early in the season. It seems that some players accused Matthew Stafford of playing possum to avoid the rigors of training camp.

That drew a huge reaction from Sean McVay, as he has to withstand all of the concerns and what-ifs for a team that faced the 2025 NFL season without its starting quarterback. When he heard those accusations, he responded in complete disbelief.

Sean McVay understands that Matthew Stafford is the reason for success

Los Angeles takes a pragmatic approach to training camp and weekly practices. Veterans who know what they must do to be prepared for game day are given certain allowances to ensure they are not pushed too hard. Some veterans simply get scheduled days off from practice. Others are inked in as starters long before any competition starts.

Finally, veterans who start or have significant rotational roles do not participate in preseason.

Ultimately, LA runs its team with the RHIP mantra (Rank Has Its Privileges). If the former Georgia Bulldog quarterback did not want to work in training camp, the team would find ways to involve him as little as necessary. There is no need for theatrics or drama.

Stafford is having a breakout season because, quite honestly, he has never had this much talent surrounding him. He has two elite receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. He has an entire stable of talented young offensive weapons who are eager to contribute.

Finally, he is playing in an offense that delivers a bevy of options to choose from, but allows him to improvise for optimal results.

While any suspicion of LA's guise of playing possum with its starting quarterback is utter nonsense, the results so far certainly fuel conspiracy theorists. Stafford is having a remarkable season, after many NFL analysts thought he was well on his way to retirement.

The Horns have a lot of fight in the quarterback position right now. And so, there will be plenty of suspicions from opponents to claim it was all planned that way. I guess we'll never know. As always, thanks for reading.