Matthew Stafford futures, Cooper Kupp Loom Grande for Rams


Los Angeles – While Los Angeles Rams players stopped in the locker room after their defeat in the divisional round against the Philadelphia Eagles, a feeling of shock filled the air.

Below six points with 1 minute 14 seconds, the Rams had been only 13 yards of a victory that would send them to a NFC championship game. That game would have been in the Sofi Stadium, an unlikely opportunity for a seed No. 4 that caused its first playoff game to move to a neutral place when forest fires devastated southern California.

“It seemed that many things were going to align us so that we could organize an NFC championship,” said Chief coach Sean McVay at his season end of the season. “Everything that this team has happened, everything that our city has happened that is much larger than football, seemed that things were going to align so that they have fairy.

“I think the difficult part is the purpose of no, it was not so.”

Instead, McVay spent his Thursday morning answering questions about the end of the season and the future of the team, specifically the future of two players, the general manager Les Snead has called “walls with weight” for his Rams team: the Campo Matthew Stafford and Wide Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp.

Stafford, who has just finished his 16th and fourth season with the Rams, said after the defeat against the Eagles that his time will take to consider his NFL future. And when asked if I could definitely say that unless Stafford retired, he would be playing for the Rams next season, McVay said: “We will talk about all those things at the appropriate time.”

Kupp, who has played his entire career with McVay, said after the season he ended up definitely playing next season. While he would love to be with the Rams, if that happens it is out of control. Snead refused to say if the Rams would ask KUPP to take a salary cut to stay in Los Angeles or exchange the open receiver, saying: “Those are issues that we really have to sit and talk.”

The Rams showed this season that they can compete with the best NFL teams, but they can build on the next season and be considered a Super Bowl contestant depends on whether Stafford has returned to Los Angeles.

McVay did not have a specific timeline for a response in the future of Stafford, either in the NFL or with the Rams, but said that the team expects clarity “sooner than later” this low season. Snead said the leadership group for the Rams, himself, McVay, the president of the team, Kevin Demoff and the vice president of football and business administration, Tony Pastours, will sit after taking the time to “rejuvenate” after A long football season and discuss what the team’s happening for.

“The field marshal is always the first thing that is related to the way you advance with the team,” McVay said. “Believe [Stafford’s] Playing a really good football and, as I said, when we return, we will talk about all that kind of thing, but I am sure of the work body and really proud of the way he has played.

“I think the most great thing you can say about Matthew is that the most big You go out in the field, and that’s why I’m sure I appreciate. “

The defensive side of the ball for the Rams went through a change similar to the last two coasts. In March 2023, the Rams exchanged the corner Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins in an effort to gain financial flexibility in the future. A year later, the future defensive Tackle of the Aaron Donald Hall decided to retire after 10 seasons from the NFL, leaving a large hole in the defense of the Rams.

In the last two seasons, the Rams have totally changed the structure of how their defense is built after going for a time when the best paid players took “a good part of the lid and cash,” said Snead.

Now, the RAMS have a central construction of players in their rookie offers, the Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske defensive liners, the external supporters Byron Young and Jared Versos and the Quentin Lake security, by a unit that took a big step forward this season this season under new defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

And although there is no doubt that this team, even one that can be very different at the beginning of the next season on the offensive side of the ball, believes that they can build in the playoffs race that they did this season, McVay was clear that I did not It makes the difficult how difficult it was for Rams to be “in the precipice of organizing an NFC championship.”

While the 2024 season trip was difficult, from 1-4 to a defeat in the Divisional Playoffs round, McVay said: “It was worth it.” And despite the loss, McVay said that he knows who is part of this Rams team next season will continue to build on what the group learned during the 2024 season.

“I think when you put so much in something, that’s why he takes away so much,” McVay said. “When you find yourself a little short or when the trip ends a little earlier than you want … I know this about me and all we are talking about, they will get again because although it is difficult and these feelings stink, everything is worth the grief “.



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