Matthew Stafford details mental grind of earning trust in veteran-heavy Rams locker room

Matthew Stafford spoke about the immense pressure that accompanied him after being traded to the Los Angeles Rams by the Detroit Lions in March 2021. He made these remarks in his appearance on the "New Heights" podcast hosted by the Kelce brothers, Jason and Travis, on Friday.

The veteran quarterback described feeling like an outsider among a group of veteran players such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller, who were already familiar with the system.

"I knew we had a talented team, but I just knew that I felt a ton of pressure," Stafford said. "I think they returned 10 guys on offense—except for me—yeah, and maybe all 11 guys on defense.

And I'm like, the a**hole that doesn't know what's going on, you know what I mean? So it was a lot of pressure, especially at my position. I'm supposed to know everybody's job inside and out." (23:53).

Matthew Stafford's remarks come just weeks after he signed to remain with the Rams on a renegotiated contract. The new contract brought an end to weeks of speculation regarding his future with the team.

Stafford passed for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns last season as the Rams finished at 10-7. They won the NFC West and advanced to the divisional playoff round of the postseason before they lost to the eventual Super Bowl winner, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Matthew Stafford speaks about the intense practices in his initial year with the Rams

NFL: NFC Divisional Round-Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Imagn

Matthew Stafford also detailed the lengthy process of building trust with his teammates.

"So I spent a lot of time—countless hours—just making sure that when I stepped into the huddle on day one, they weren't like, 'This guy...' You know what I mean?" Stafford added.

"So it was like, 'All right, not only physically can I do what I do, but I want to make sure that mentally, they're like, Okay, this guy's on it.'"

Stafford won the Super Bowl championship with the Rams in his first year.

Since joining the Rams, Stafford has thrown 14,700 yards for 95 touchdowns and 44 interceptions in four years. According to AP News, he only has to gain another 191 yards to join the 10th quarterback in NFL history with 60,000 career passing yards.

The quarterback also spoke about how the 2021 team progressed during the season.

"You know, the Week 1 starters we had compared to what we were doing at the end—it's totally different. And so, being able to navigate that whole thing was... incredible," Stafford added.

Meanwhile, the Rams' offseason in 2025 has seen a major roster turnover. They've acquired veteran receiver Davante Adams to strengthen their wide receiver corps.