Matthew Stafford On 2023 Success, Hall Of Fame Possibilities & Cooper Kupp Comeback | Rams Revealed

well hello and welcome to a new season of rams revealed I'm your host JB long and here in 2024 we are presented by Sleep Number the ram sleep and wellness partner Our Guest is familiar to you he set up for his 16th NFL season Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford who's already called our first audible of 2024 I did uh it's bright out here in Woodland Hills at our beautiful new facility so I decided to throw the shad on I hope everybody's okay with that JB was nice enough to uh have a pair waiting for for himself to to play along all right so you're making a bit of History you are transitioning us from clue to our new home here in Woodland Hills I think the studio will be ready for our next episode of rams reveal but we're Outdoors here for game week so there you are special bit yeah you know I'll uh I'll take it I like being the inaugural guest but it is a beautiful new place like you said there's still some things working in progress but uh people are working uh day and night to get this thing up and rolling and we appreciate it well this show is very much about getting to know r underneath the helmet at a deeper level I think you're familiar with this guest today but nonetheless I hope we can cover some new territory and before we look ahead to 24 it's okay with you I want to highlight a couple of things about 2023 first because Matthew I think there's a case to be made that it was your best professional season I know it didn't end in confetti falling but statistically I think it could be agree or disagree and why um I'll agree with you on some parts of it um you know I don't know about the statistics but as far as the last I would say eight nine games of the season I was playing pretty good football and and the guys around me were playing great too so uh it it definitely was a fun finish to the season and frankly I thought we played pretty pretty well in the first half of the Season we just didn't close games out the way we needed to and then in the second half of the Season you look back and that's what we were able to do you know we were we weren't blowing people out all over the place but we were finding ways to win games at the end of it and uh you know that's uh that's what it takes to to get wins in this league and I was happy to be uh be a part of it there was just this selective aggression I would call it where you were making big plays but you were also minimizing mistakes in way that maybe you hadn't done as well in your previous years yeah no doubt um you know I got to get a lot of credit to to Sean and the guys you know that are calling plays and and giving me opportunities at the right times and there were a couple times where we were able to get in and out of some plays that ended up in being big ones but uh yeah I mean I think that's the fine line right that's the balance where you're trying to be um explosive because it's so hard to go 15 20 plays um you know and have no negative plays and score a touchdown on a drive you got to have those chunk plays and so you got to find ways to get them we're able to do that um and still avoid a lot of the negatives which is a you know a sign of good offense is it as fun to play this position as it was earlier in your career now that you're seeing so many light boxes so many safeties sitting over the top like can you still go after it the way that you might have in a younger day yeah you know I think the the landscape of the league has evolved so much right like when I first came in the league it was Tampa 2 and then people were bringing Mike Mike Sam or Mike nickel and playing three deep three under or 3400 with a backside drop you know that was it that's all you kind of saw a couple you know exotic blitzes but now it's it's coverages all over the place defensive coordinators have done such a great job of you know deterring big plays they've said they read the stats too right the teams that have explos explosive plays score points and and that's a recipe for losing a game so and on the defensive side of the ball they've done a great job of playing everything kind of deep to short catching it having body presence on you know Crossing routes and all these kind of things that used to be big plays that are tougher now um so it's it's definitely it's different um I feel like I've seen a whole lot more than obviously I did when I was younger but uh it's still a still a fun position to play all right so 23 was one of your best the question is do you have an even better one in your future uh you know I hope so I sure hope so um you know I was lucky enough I had a little bit of a setback and um you know missed a game or two uh last year but hopefully if I can stay healthy again we can pick up um you know kind of where we left off um and and just go out there and try to execute Play good football it's going to look different as it does every single year right New pieces um up front New pieces on the outside in the back field all those kind of things but uh just as far as the urgency uh the energy towards going to execute doing all those kind of things that's that's what we're looking for it's not going to look the exact same but uh uh you know I am excited about it and and give ourselves a chance to go play with good football Matthew I took a deep dive this offseason in terms of your Hall of Fame case okay I would like to believe that you're there if you don't play another down I know for almost certain that if you have another good season you're in how much is that possibility of cementing your legacy play into your desire to keep going um it's part of it but it's not uh the main driving Factor you know I'm I'm still so um you know blessed to play this game and and really enjoy coming to work every single day to work with these guys to work with our coaches I know that I'm a part of something special um whether that ends with confetti like you said or not I know working here and and working with Sean and our coaching staff and these players is something that uh you know not everybody gets a chance to do and so I appreciate those opportunities and I want to continue to do that as best I can for as long as I can as long as I'm healthy um and I feel good about it um but uh I'd be lying if I sat there and thought man when I started playing this game I was doing everything I could to build a career right and then Midway through your career doing everything you can try and win games and do all those things and and have Team success and and that's still the the same goal but you know you got 15 years in the rearview mirror right now and and I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish and I couldn't have accomplished any of it without the help of the teammates coaches and and everybody um you know along the way but uh it is something that when I started playing this game I I grew up watching NFL films I grew up watching the greates play and and wanting to be a part of that and uh just having any kind an inkling that could ever be a possibility is something that's that's a motivating factor for sure but it's not the main one mention your teammates along the way in that answer and I think about Megatron I think about Cooper cup I think about puka nakua and the role that you have played orchestrating historic NFL seasons for receivers how much of that is in your mental trophy case like special moments helping them achieve their dreams too um yeah it's it's part of it you know I think I look back on those uh with you know less reflection towards myself and more towards them right I mean those are such special players with special Seasons uh I know what each and every single one of those guys went through to be on the field every Sunday you know everybody sees them go out there and make great plays and and have these great seasons and you go man if you could see him Wednesday through Friday fighting like hell because all those guys that had those big Seasons I mean their use rate was huge right so they're getting the ball they're getting hit they're getting tackled they're getting covered all those kind of things and to be able to show up every Sunday for the team and execute and make plays the way they did uh it's incredible um I I definitely you know loved being able to throw to all those guys and really all the guys I've ever gotten the chance to throw to but uh those three seasons are really special and and um it's really more of credit to those guys than anything else I mean what they've put their bodies through they put their mind through to get out there and go um is is really uh really impressive one of the best things I think you have going for you is what I'm Loosely terming like the game recognized game Factor like whether it's your guy Dan Orosi representing for you the league Executives love you uh rank you highly um but more recently there's this young undercurrent of course qubs and I I'm sure you heard what CJ strad and Caleb Williams said this offseason but let's pause here and let our audience listen to those and then I'll ask you to reflect on them here I'm a student of the game Stafford a dog he is a dog no you don't understand bro you saying that I that's all I watch I don't watch nobody else I watch Mahomes at times because Mahomes does some stuff that like you can't coach Stafford dog he will beat you with the same thing every time all that no lick stuff I got that from bruh like L that's one of my big like I'm I'm a fan of his like uh he's unbelievable I don't know how I think it was 46 right on the top 100 56 top it was something unbelievable that he should I was not happy about where would you put him Matthew Stafford is probably I can't I don't think I can name two quarterbacks two or three quarterbacks that play a position better than Matthew Stafford wow not obviously playing right now I'm not saying 42 he was 42 on the list um I don't know how he's 42 you're tell me he's better than Josh Allen he's better than like Matthew Stafford is Matthew Stafford all right so the bad news is you're old enough to be one of the guys that they grew up watching but the good news is you're reflection yeah I mean it's uh it's really humbling um I remember being in their shoes um thinking about that when I was a young player man getting to place against some of the guys that I grew up watching and and the amount of respect that I had I think it's it's just really humbling that they feel that way about me um I have a ton of respect for the way that the younger quarterbacks including those two guys um you know are are coming into the league they are so ready to play CJ's year last year was incredible um the way he played the position uh no fear but also not Reckless I mean it's it's a tough line to terer we were talking about it earlier and he did an incredible job of doing that um he's a you know an unbelievable player you know playmaker type guy and I think Caleb is going to be the same and uh you know it's going to be uh it's going to be fun to watch their careers when I'm all said and done and and they got 10 12 15 more years to play uh it'll be fun to watch them but I do appreciate um um you know those guys uh you know saying those kind words towards my game and and uh you know what small part in their football journey I might have had you know them watching like you said CJ is already off and rolling Caleb's about to begin this journey and as a former one-1 yourself if he were to come to you and say hey Matthew what advice would you give to a number one pick what would you say in terms of what he's walking into and how to have suain sustain success in this league yeah I mean I think the biggest thing is it's a journey right you know you get you get picked first overall and and uh you know I was in a little bit of a different situation we were coming off an 0 and6 season in Detroit and and uh really trying to find our footing as a team I think Chicago had a really nice finish to the season it's got a chance to be a really solid team this year so uh but I would just say it's a journey man uh enjoy it uh know that there's going to be great plays because he's an unbelievable talented player and know that there's going to be tough moments right and uh got to have teammates and and coaches you can lean on in those situations I know I did and I appreciate those guys growing up um but uh just enjoy it and and know that it is a journey right you don't have to go out there and win the Super Bowl in your first game shoot go play great and get a win that's awesome but uh you know it's it's going to take time and you're going to continue to get better and I think he's got a really good head on his shoulders um I know they got a great coaching staff over there as well so he's going to he's going to have a good future so those are the young upand comers uh you're at the other end of the spectrum uh only Aaron Rogers an older starter in this league now and so the question naturally how many more years do you want to do this truthly is there any way you can answer that question before February of 2025 no there isn't and uh you know that's that's great perspective for you to know that because uh that is the truth you know I mean that is the truth is uh I love playing this game I'm having a blast out here pracon getting ready to play uh you know uh football games and get going uh but I don't know what the future holds for me I do know that when I'm out here on the grass I have an unbelievable time I love competing I feel like I can still do it at a high level um but uh you know those things are uh for decisions that are down the road I'm enjoying the moment I'm embracing the moment um I got a beautiful family at home that I love being around um you know so there's lot of things to think about but uh I still do love playing this game okay so when you do call it quits though do you have a sense of what retirement might look like like do you see yourself on the Tom Brady track where like ownership or TV might be a thing do you want to be like the Tony Romo makeing run at amateur golf we never see you again CU you're coaching e8th grade girls basketball yeah I don't know you know some maybe maybe a combination of all three minus the golf I don't know that I can do it Tony's got a hell of a swing he's a great player but uh no I enjoy playing the game of golf uh I I probably will still enjoy being around the game of football whether that's in a you know capacity working with the team or if that's you know on on a television screen wearing sunglasses trying to uh you know see if I can get the whole crew to do it with me but uh no I think uh you know some capacity of football for sure but I definitely feel like I have spent a lot of time away from my family playing this game so I want to have opportunities to make sure that I'm around as much as I possibly can because I love being around them um so it'll be it'll be a balance for sure Sean keeps talking about about your tennis game and how that's impact your football like how much are you playing in the off season and what's your USA no ranking no ranking uh but uh no I do I do like to play Kelly's a really good player uh she picked it up a couple years ago and has been playing a lot so I've been able to play with her some good groups around the neighborhood it's fun I love it it's a good workout um but uh I don't know about my uh my USA ranking I don't I don't think I'll ever have one of those you know who's a sneaky good player never talks about is Shawn Sean's a good player I hit with him one time and uh he's exactly what you would think right spark plug just rips it back and uh covers the covers the court pretty well I think he's a ma Andro probably 100% yes there's some racket smashing you need to bring a couple rackets I would think uh if I know him speaking of Sean uh there was that Viral clip of you and the Huddle you can already guess where I'm going with this how did that play behind the scenes just out of curiosity it was great he knows uh he knows you know that uh uh you know that's the way it goes on game day it's dialed up the you know the energy um you know he's he's a great coach for a reason right he's a communicator he wants to sit there and tell us hey man these are all the little coaching points along the way of this certain play and I always tell him man it's always worse during a TV timeout because he's got unlimited time with the button down and he wants to tell me all these things that was a crunch time moment in that game and uh there were some minute you know coaching points on that play but the best part about that is you know it's loud enough you know in my hear that the guys in the Huddle can hear it and they're like is he still going I'm like he's still going guys and they're like and they can hear it and love it uh so they play it up too it's it's a whole lot of fun um but uh you know he only does all that stuff because he loves us and wants us to play as good as we can and win games and and that's part of it man I I love working with him um it's a blast to uh to get to experience that kind of stuff good news is you will not have any chance of hearing them this Sunday anyway that's exactly right it's going to be a it's going to be a heck of an environment in Detroit um last time we played there in the playoffs it was crazy loud I assume you know a Sunday Night Football to open the season I remember playing uh a Sunday night opener I believe it was it was either Sunday night or Monday night against the Giants back in the day and that place was rocking and rolling and we weren't coming off a you know a run like they did so uh it's going to be a it's going to be a fun environment a tough environment for some of the young guys on our team that haven't played in those scenarios it'll be a new thing for him but it'll be fun I wrote down the aciel level of 1343 is the new record from their playoff run last year that's what they're trying to break this week but I mentioned the the thing in the Huddle because of continuity right and one of the things you're saying there to your huddle is I got it I got it and and that's what I took away from that moment which is year four with him back to back with lefur have you ever felt this level of I got it uh no I mean I feel really comfortable in what we're trying to do how we're trying to attack defenses weekend and we out where our Personnel fits in those things how I can utilize you know our rules you know cuz basically Football turns into a little bit of a rules game at some point um you know and how can I utilize our rules get our guys in the in the best position to go out there and try to succeed and um you know Sean has unbelievable plans every single week where to be honest my job is is easy sometimes right I just go out there and execute what we said we were going to do and it plays out just like we thought now you go into a season opener you there's some unknown there right and so okay Matthew how can you help us in certain situations try to get us into something a little bit better Andor fix a small problem here or there to help us have a successful play feels like as much continuity as you've ever had in your career too yeah definitely at the skill position spot you know I mean we have a lot of guys that are coming back uh you know I think uh you know upfront um you know it's it's pretty darn clean too you know when you look around the league and the amount of turnover that there is I feel like on the offensive side of the ball we're on the low end of the spectrum this year's which is always nice uh but you got to go out there and prove it again you know every single season is hey you know uh they roll the ball out and you got to go prove yourself again every single week and we're looking forward to the opportunity I'm a Believer in the Cooper cup comeback tour uh I know you are too like you're kind of the campaign manager of it behind the scenes I'm sure now that everyone's drafted their fantasy football teams can you give us some context as to why you think it's going to work this year yeah I mean I think he's the first time he's really been healthy for about two years you know and and that's uh such a huge part of it um you know I think uh he's worked his tail off this offseason he and puka both uh you know getting together working out doing their thing um it's it's really impressive to see what he's done and and he's a guy that you know you sit there and he's getting a little bit older and you're going hey should we should we hold him out of this should we hold him out of that try to keep his legs fresh and he is so smart and understands he says hey man I'm at my best when I just work you know and I just put the work in I get strong I get in great shape I do all these things and and he's done that this year and and kudos to our guys in the you know in the office there that have let him do that and uh you know it looks really good right now continuing with the thought on opening weekend in Detroit at fordfield what would you say to Rams Fans who I think are understandably a bit spooked to get the this stage of the summer and to hear that you're making a shift on your offensive line that Jonah and Steve are going to flip going into this silent count environment yeah you know I'm not too worried about it you know I think the you know Jonah as a veteran player uh we made a switch a couple years ago in during training camp um you know in 2021 when I first got here uh it wasn't quite as late just because of the fact that Jonah really wasn't practicing had he been practicing I I think that switch probably would have happened a bit earlier um you know but I do think we're just finding our way to get the best five out there in the best position to go succeed um you know I I have no qualms about how he's going to play or how we're going to play up front I was reminded of what I think are actually my favorite moments of yours as a ram kind of reflecting on last year's wild card game and uh one was the Super Bowl when you kind of go after I think Mike Hilton first but then you end up with Von Bell kind of Defending Cooper cup and then again last year when you go up and have a word with Kirby Joseph and this is kind of like my Chris Farley Saturday Night Live Like Paul McCartney Moment Like This is not really a question this is just me saying like hey that was pretty cool if you remember that um those are good skits but like what is that how does it come out of you and why does it matter yeah I mean uh that's just care for my teammate you know and and uh I I care so much about what these guys go through you know there's sometimes things said about hey Matthew you you play through stuff you're tough this that and the other I'm like you guys don't know the half of it you know like I I get hit five 10 times a game maybe these guys are going through the same thing I'm going through and they're out there you know running routes getting hit blocking defensive end and the deal last year I just felt like you know I I I don't like it when guys in this you know for one reason or another take shots at guys that I feel like are not the way the game should be played at that moment and um you know that that was something that had you know been on tape you know in previous weeks he had done that and uh you look back in games past our game and the same kind of thing is showing up so I was just I was frustrated for my guy in the moment um and and really just protective of the guys that I get you know I'm in the huddle with I I care so much about them and and want those guys to be um you know able to finish seasons and and uh do all that kind of stuff uh if is it important I don't know you know I I just feel like it's the right thing to do so I just go for it definitely some of the backdrop for this game as the Rams rematch with the Lions time now for a new segment we're calling the wind down brought to you by Sleep Number and each week here on Rams revealed we'll get insight into how sleep and Recovery impacts performance in the NFL so Matthew the question is what does your bed room bedtime routine look like and do you have certain rituals involved um you know I I hope I have the rituals that everybody else has like brushing your teeth and doing all those things so that's part of it for sure um but you know I think uh part of my bed time routine really Revol balls around my kids too right I mean it's wind down time with them trying to create good habits for them as well uh you know whether that's a bath or brushing their teeth read a story all those kind of things get the girls to bed and then to be honest with you I'm up so early I'm usually right there behind them uh so I'm going from their room to my room uh you know doing all the normal things just trying to uh get myself in the mode to to get ready to go to sleep and then obviously I have a I have a Sleep Number bed in my house and and uh hop in that thing I turn the cooler on and uh try to get to bed as soon as I possibly can but I'm I'm pretty basic when it comes down to it but I do enjoy sleeping in my sleep number thanks for that now let's turn out the lights on this episode of rams revealed with a few rapid fire questions to finish okay all right if I made you Roger Goodell for a day so you're the commissioner okay what's one NFL rule that you would adjust uh not so much a rule but a thing I would push uh you know for the ownership it would be to try to have grass in every single Stadium as soon as possible I feel like from a safety standpoint not only lower body in injuries but you watch people hit their head on the turf uh and then they hit their head on the grass and the guys that you know hit their head on the Grass more often than not pop up and the guys hit their head on the turf don't so that'd be one I would uh I would try to push for all right so you know the uh start bench cut game I'm going give you three things all right so here's your three under Center pistol shotgun start bench cut oh man that's tough uh I'd probably start shotgun um uh he can do it all from everywhere to be honest with you start shotgun will bench uh pistol and we'll cut under Center just really okay good no I know it's it's a no win situation uh here's another bad news good news uh I have to take your right arm okay so it's gone but the good news is you get to trade it with anyone else on the planet past or present who would it be right arm oo uh I'll go Brett Favre uh he was fun to watch man he had a cannon and and uh ran around made plays but yeah I would say Brett uh was was a fun one him or Dan Marino I feel like very little adjustment if you got either one of theirs you can keep doing exactly what you want to do uh and part of the reason I asked is because last week in Houston our fans saw before that preseason finale Cooper cup threw like a flat-footed 50 y to you in the end zone can you break down that throwing motion yeah no he's it's a little musly as you might think uh you know Cooper big weight room guy uh a little musly but uh you know he can get it out there I don't know he's always talking to me about hey man do you think with a year of training could I be a third string quarterback and I'm like I think it's going to take a little bit more than a year and you got to stop lifting weights immediately but uh he uh he can throw it around which is fun which you know is surprising considering you look at his uh passer rating as a pro and I think it's pretty bad 0 for four yeah 0 for four and I had memory hold the one in the Super Bowl forgotten Philly special yeah so I mean there were some opportunities to show up in games and uh you know he kind of withered under the pressure but it's quarterback's not for everybody after last year in Dallas I swore I never wanted to see you catch another pass and then you go in do it in Oxnard to yourself I didn't stop doing that yeah yeah that was a that was an interesting one I just wanted to prevent the interception more than anything to be honest Matthew thank you for your time here to your best season yet we'll look forward to more last with you in Coupe this season on on nine and dime for now uh go get him in Detroit and thanks to all of you for joining us for a season debut of rams reveal presented by Sleep Number from Matthew Stafford I'm JB long [Music]