Sean McVay Lost Faith in $45M Receiver As Rams HC Addresses Truth on Matthew Stafford’s WR Corps – Report

Earlier this offseason, the Rams slammed the book shut on one of their greatest chapters. The former Super Bowl MVP, Cooper Kupp, who once defined Sean McVay’s offense, was cut loose after eight years of service. In came Davante Adams, who inked his two-year, $46 million deal with L.A. Now here comes the cruel twist.

Kupp, scooped up by the Seattle Seahawks on a three-year, $45 million deal, may be poised for the very thing the Rams gave up believing in. Former agent-turned-analyst Joel Corry told CBS Sports that Kupp could be in line for a “bounce-back” campaign. Think about that! L.A. dropping him for durability concerns, only to potentially watch him torch their own defenses. The concerns just keep getting bigger as November 16 looms large, when the Rams will face the Seahawks on the field.

But ESPN’s Insider Peter Schrager has just confirmed the bigger truth. The Rams truly believe Adams isn’t just a replacement. He’s more like an upgrade to their defense. A road map to their long-lost faith. “They believe that Puka Nacua and Davante Adams is a huge upgrade from Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp,” Schrager said. The Rams are standing by their decision. The front office and coaching staff see Adams as the Green Bay version, the one who shredded defenses for a decade. And even in what observers called a “down year” split between the Raiders and Jets, Adams still posted 85 catches for 1,053 yards and eight touchdowns.

And it’s not just his own numbers. Even the team performance is quite backing up that belief. Schrager highlighted that in joint practices against the Cowboys, “Jimmy G was slicing and dicing up the Cowboys defensive joint practices… Stetson looked good...and Devontae, as much as they thought they might have issues…they were good.” Even with Matthew Stafford rehabbing an aggravated disc in his back, Jimmy Garoppolo delivered a sharp session in Oxnard, dropping a perfect strike to Tutu Atwell down the sideline. And Stetson Bennett? He carried that momentum into live action in the preseason opener. Carving up Dallas on the opening two drives with an 8-of-12 start for 99 yards. By night’s end, he had already piled up 188 yards, two touchdowns, and just one interception.

The Rams are confident their season won’t collapse because of Adams’ presence. Training camp has only strengthened that conviction. Adams was flat-out uncoverable against Dallas, getting behind their secondary for chunk plays, and in individual drills, he’s been the first man in line at Puka Nacua’s request, who is now studying Adams’ footwork and timing. McVay himself has gushed, comparing Adams’ ability to read defenses to that of a quarterback: “He understands the timing and rhythm of all these plays.” Seven 1,000-yard seasons in the past eight years and fifth among active players in career receiving yards. Talk about reliability. He doesn’t have to chase 2,000 yards like Atwell teased him about; he just has to tilt coverages, create space, and make Stafford’s (or even Jimmy Garoppolo’s) life easier.

So while Rams fans will brace themselves for the Kupp reunion in mid-November, the organization is betting that Adams makes them forget what they lost. Schrager put it bluntly: “Stafford is going to be great. And if he gets injured, they don’t feel like the season is done if his back acts up.” That’s the confidence this front office is selling.

Sean McVay on Matthew Stafford-Davante Adams: Chemistry without reps

Sometimes the best connections are born in the spaces in between. That’s been the case for Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams, who spent more of this summer trading whispers on the sideline than passes on the field. Stafford, dealing with a back injury, wasn’t throwing much at Loyola Marymount. But every chance Adams came off the grass, there was Stafford in his ear, tweaking routes, pointing to the replay screen, and carving plays. More like a chessboard chemistry. Mental reps that mattered just as much as physical ones.

Now that Stafford’s finally back on the field, the trust looks like it never left. “Every time we’re stepping out on the grass together, we’re getting better,” Stafford said, giving a glimpse into how quickly they’re clicking. This wasn’t a cold start. Adams had already immersed himself in the Rams’ playbook back in March, brushing up on McVay’s language, one that shares DNA with the Packers scheme he once thrived in. They even logged crucial reps in OTAs before Adams stepped away briefly for personal reasons. The groundwork was set. As McVay himself put it: “I thought that was great for them to be able to get that rapport. And then since Matthew’s been back out here, I mean, these guys see the game through a very similar lens. So it’s been awesome. That was kind of the goal in mind.”

And here’s the kicker: both Stafford and Adams are masters of improvisation. Adams caught more than his share of no-look darts from Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, so Stafford’s tricks won’t rattle him. Together, they read defenses like jazz musicians riffing off one another—a coverage adjustment there. Adams summed it up best: “The timing will continue to get better, but I think we’re in a good place.” For the Rams, that’s the quiet revelation—Sean McVay knows he doesn’t need a full summer of practice reps to see it. This duo already speaks the same football dialect, and now it’s time to translate that into some action.