It’s been a strange few weeks for the Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford. And it got stranger than it has been on Saturday.
That’s the day Stafford was expected to work out again, a week after throwing 60-plus passes sparked a setback in his recovery from a back problem. Before the team’s preseason game against the Chargers, a Rams spokesman declined to comment on whether the workout actually occurred. The spokesman deferred comment to coach Sean McVay, when he next meets with reporters on Monday.
Then, after the game, assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant (who played the role of head coach for the annual preseason Battle of L.A.) was equally secretive.
“At this point in time, anything regarding Mr. Stafford, I’m going to wait for Coach McVay to address you guys on Monday,” Pleasant told reporters
Pleasant wouldn’t even say whether Stafford was present for the game.
“Anything regarding Mr. Stafford, I’m going to let Sean go ahead and regard that,” Pleasant said. “To be honest with you, I was so tapped into the ones that had jerseys on, honestly, that’s what I’d say.”
Quarterback Stetson Bennett got the memo, too. Asked whether he saw Stafford on the sideline during the game, Bennett said, “I was so locked in each and every snap. I didn’t really look too closely.”
The circumstances require a closer look at what’s going on.
There’s no magic to Monday. McVay can hold a conference call whenever he wants, if there’s something to say about Stafford. (And there apparently is.) Alternatively, a statement could be issued.
Whatever the situation may be, it’s a strange pivot from transparency to secrecy for the Rams. And it suggests that the situation is far from ideal.
Frankly, it invites speculation that the Rams may think they need to find a quarterback to compete with and/or supplant Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter, and that they plan to use Sunday to try to do a deal with someone else, before the world knows they may be desperate.
That’s an extreme explanation, I know. But that’s the kind of thing that would justify the Rams’ abrupt pivot from talking about Stafford to sealing the vault on their starting quarterback until Monday.
If Stafford’s season is suddenly in jeopardy, a trade for Kirk Cousins becomes an obvious possibility. McVay served as the offensive coordinator in Washington from 2014 through 2016, when Cousins was the starter. And McVay remains a big believer in Cousins.
As is 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Which would make the Rams-Niners rivalry (and competition for the NFC West crown) far more interesting.
For now, the most interesting thing is Stafford’s status. The Rams’ are being strategically silent. Unless they decide to say or to leak something today, we’ll find out why that’s happening.
