‘Can’t Happen in One Trip’- Matthew Stafford on Establishing Himself as a Leader in Rams Locker Room

Matthew Stafford is still acclimatizing to life in LA. After spending 12 seasons in Detroit, a city known for its notorious weather conditions, the sunny side of the West Coast is definitely a welcome change for the 33-year-old. 

A former #1 overall pick, Stafford was traded in by the LA Rams in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2022 and 2023, a third-round pick in 2021, and quarterback Jared Goff. 

Now ready for a new challenge, Stafford is looking to hit the ground running with his new team. And like almost every other quarterback, Stafford will have to win over the confidence and respect of his teammates.

And even the QB is aware that it is only then that he can establish himself as a leader in the Rams locker room.  

Matthew Stafford ready to play his part 

In an interview with the LA Times, Stafford talked about the respect he has for his new teammates.

“I have a ton of respect for all of them. The way they play the game, the knowledge that they have, the effort that they play with,” he said. 

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While the quarterback is excited to start strongly, he knows that as is the case for any signal-caller, he too must win over the respect of his new teammates.

“That can’t happen in one trip around the locker room,” he said. “It takes some time to figure out what makes guys tick.”

Looking to establish himself as a leader, Stafford said that he will focus on staying true to himself and do his bit.

“The biggest thing is just be myself. Let those things happen and understand there’s been a high standard here of success. And really quarterback play as well, so I’ve got to come in here and do my part,” he added.

Stafford is definitely viewed as an upgrade over Goff. The quarterback has carried the Lions franchise on his back for years and even guided them to the Playoffs on three occasions. 

For the Rams, getting to the playoffs is not seen as an achievement, but rather a bare minimum. The franchise went close to winning Super Bowl LIII in 2019 but fell short to Tom Brady’s New England Patriots. 

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With the trade package shelled out for Matthew Stafford, the Rams are clearly all-in with their new QB. And thus the expectations from Stafford are rather clear. It’s Super Bowl or bust for the former Lions player.