Rams' Stafford struggling to connect with younger teammates, says wife

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is having difficulty narrowing the generational divide with his young teammates, his wife said on her podcast "The Morning After With Kelly Stafford."

"He's like, 'The difference in the locker room has changed so significantly,'" Kelly Stafford said. "They have a lot of rookies on their team, they're very young. … But he's like, 'I feel like I can't connect.'"

She added, "I think Matthew feels it the most because he's so old and like a leader on the team. But he's like, 'I don't know how to lead people I have no connection with. I have to somehow find a way to connect to them.'"

Kelly Stafford also said that her husband's teammates seem too focused on their phones and don't interact with one another or play games together in the locker room.

Matthew Stafford, 35, is among the few holdovers from the Rams' Super Bowl LVI winning roster. Aaron Donald and Ernest Jones are the only starters on defense to remain from the 2021 squad.

"They say 'sir' to him and shit," Kelly Stafford said. "He's like, 'No, we're on the same level here, we're both playing in the league. Let me get to know you.'"

The Rams added 14 players in the 2023 NFL Draft and currently have 22 undrafted free agents on the roster ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline. Stafford is one of five players on L.A.'s roster over the age of 30, joining Donald, Rob Havenstein, Cooper Kupp, and Tyler Higbee.

The franchise parted ways with several veterans in the offseason, including sending Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins in a trade.

L.A. shut Matthew Stafford down near the halfway mark of last season after he bruised his spinal cord. He threw for 2,087 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, posting an 87.4 passer rating in nine games.

The Rams open the season against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 10.