Los Angeles’ decision to reduce Matthew Stafford’s offseason workload helped the quarterback enter the 2025 season fresher and culminated in an MVP campaign, the report says. Stafford led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns and was named the NFL MVP for the 2025 season, per the report.
The team allowed Stafford to complete portions of organized team activities from home, where he had a gym and access to the Rams’ full film system, which also gave him more time with family instead of spending long stretches at the facility, the report says. That arrangement, head coach Sean McVay said, eased some of the mental load the quarterback typically carries during the offseason program.
Stafford also had a lighter physical training camp following a back injury that occurred between the offseason program and the start of camp; he did not throw for a significant portion of the summer and returned to practice on Aug. 18, the report says. Despite that, he did not miss a practice during the season and was credited with playing some of the best football of his career as the Rams’ offense produced league-leading passing totals.
As the team begins its 2026 offseason program — with Stafford entering his 18th NFL season — McVay said the Rams plan to maintain a similar approach. McVay emphasized the autonomy Stafford has earned and described ongoing collaboration among the quarterback, the coaching staff and the club’s medical and strength personnel to keep him as physically, emotionally and mentally fresh as possible, per the report. McVay also said it would not be surprising to see adjustments to training camp for a healthy Stafford.
The way the Rams plan to manage Stafford shaped their quarterback depth decisions. The club had hoped to re-sign Jimmy Garoppolo, who served as the backup the previous two seasons, but Garoppolo is considering retirement and his return was called unlikely by McVay. The Rams selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in April’s draft; Simpson is expected to compete with 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett IV for the backup role, and both are projected to receive significant reps in training camp and likely the preseason, the report says.
