When Sean McVay and Les Snead made the decision to pull the trigger on a trade for Matthew Stafford before the 2021 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams were in a very different place. They'd more or less reached their ceiling with Jared Goff, which was fairly high but wasn't the Super Bowl, and wanted to take a big swing at going from good to great.
As it turned out, the move was exactly what the doctor ordered, with Stafford winning the Super Bowl in his first year in LA and the Rams incredibly competitive ever since.
Asked to think back on the trade and how he has grown since during his final media session before Week 18, McVay noted that it's been an incredible ride.
“Well, I think all the decisions that we make in the moment are what we think are in the best interest of the football team and getting a chance to pair up with what gives us a chance to try to be able to move forward. In regard to how you go about it, there are a lot of different things that you learn. I think the biggest thing I would say that I take away, and you hopefully never lose this, and I'm going to be hopefully sitting here next year saying, ‘This is what I learned in this year,' but not to take things for granted, to be grateful. You can make tough decisions while still being able to handle things in a way that's empathetic but firm. Make sure that you don't lose sight of… this is a people type of business,” McVay told reporters.
“I'd say this, sometimes in pursuit of different goals, you're not any less competitive, but you can lose perspective on the right way to do it as a leader that you want to influence and affect positive change with situations you're a part of and people you're around. Those are the things that I think about a little bit more. You try to be authentic, but also intentional about not being afraid to say, ‘I'd do that differently.' Would you make a different decision? No, but the etiquette and the way that it's handled, you would. I do think the different parts of where you're at in life… Sometimes coaching can be like dog years. You're 30 years old when you get here and you're just so excited but man, it takes a toll on you if you don't understand how to balance it and lean on people and make sure that you're surrounding yourself with people that influence you to want to be better for them. You talk about what a blessing it's been having our little boy and my wife. You're always continuously trying to become a better version of yourself within the framework of what's necessary for that situation. Those are the things that I would think about.”
Interesting stuff, right? Well it gets better, as McVay had plenty more to say on the subject.
Sean McVay is happy to have Matthew Stafford on his team
Turning his attention to Stafford, McVay noted that LA found the man to lead the team and are still happy with their choice.
“I would say this, it's been really fun working with him [Stafford]. You talk about a guy who challenges you because of how smart he is and the consistency with which he's done it with,” McVay told reporters. “I think he's forced an accountability on my level because you want to make sure you have answers because of the way that he looks at it and how smart and cerebral he is, but [also] how competitive he is. I think the coolest thing that you can say about Matthew is our guys always believe they have a chance because when he's that quarterback and the authentic belief that he instills in people he's around and that's the team as a whole.”
Will Stafford ever reach his 2021 heights in LA again? Only time will tell, but considering how well he's played since the Super Bowl, it's hard to argue with McVay's assertion.
