Sean McVay - Head Coach, rams Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-05 | Full transcript (primary source).
Sean McVay, Head Coach of the Rams, addressed the media on September 5, 2026, following the conclusion of the preseason. In the press conference, he reflected on the team's performance, expressed pride in the players' development, and discussed preparations for the upcoming game against the 49ers.
Transcript
McVay: Okay, guys, you know, first of all, really proud of the group. I thought they did a great job really throughout the preseason and it was a great opportunity for a lot of our coaches to get experiences that I've kind of shared that I got a chance to get when I was in some different roles and I thought really just the way that our guys improved but really proud of them and you know, and now here we go. We're looking forward to being able to start our preparation on the 49ers. We know what a great challenge it's going to be. We've got some tough decisions over the next couple of days to make and the cool thing is the guys that have been playing have made it tough for us and that's that's a positive thing for us for the depth of our roster. I'm sure you guys are wondering, you know, be good to be able to bring two to at well back obviously wish our quest hunter nothing but the best moving forward felt like it was a chance to be able to, you know, add depth to the receiver room kind of know, you know, there's a good feel for those top three backs that we that we saw and I thought both Jordan and in Dean did a really nice job of you know, solidifying that they're they're real factors that you know, you got to be able to take into consideration. What does that look like? So I thought the quarterbacks. I thought Ty played really well tonight going into it. You know that I wouldn't look too far into what that was. It was just continuing to get him experience. We've got three quarterbacks on our roster. Obviously, we've got the reigning MVP of the league and then we got two guys that we feel really good about and if you say, what does that really mean? That's what it means that we feel to really good about those two guys not pigeonhole myself into any sort of decision other than I feel really good about Stetson Bennett feel really good about Ty Simpson and I hope Matthew Caldwell is okay. It was good to be able to get him in there and see him do some really good things. Hopefully his knees going to be all right and with that, I'll take your guys questions on that past 11 yard touchdown paths by Yeah, that's a glimpse into what his potential is. I think so. You know, I think some of the fun things Dennis to see are you know, the off schedule, you know, there was a it was a pressure look they lost contain on the pressure. He escaped it kept his eyes down the field and Brandon Presley did a great job of being able to work off schedule with him. But I think in the games, you've really seen a lot of really good things from him in each of these last three games didn't have as much opportunities last week tonight and obviously in week one and been really pleased with tie. He did a great job. I thought he had good command. He's got a great game day demeanor. It was good to see him do his thing tonight. The trade for two to made as kind of a preemptive thing in case Puca is suspended. No, no had nothing to do with that. It was exclusively guy that we were familiar with that you could really get at what we felt like was, you know, good for us and good for jar quest and and that was, you know, I think he'll do a good job for for the Dolphins and it's never easy when you have guys that are such great people, but we're familiar with to to he adds depth, you know, it gives us an opportunity to be able to have that speed element and he can do some different things that it had nothing to do with anything other than just add in depth to the receiver room because last year the charges had they touted a top five defense today. Ty Simpson looked extremely comfortable under center. Can you just talk to me about his game his performance that you saw? Yeah, I thought he was in good command. I thought he made good decisions. I thought he you know, went where the ball was supposed to go, you know, just like what Dennis was asking and then the cool thing is is some of the second reaction plays, you know, when it doesn't necessarily work out in rhythm and you were able to escape and buy time thought even in the bootleg game. He did a great job of attacking the edge finding to just be able to keep the ball and play and managing the run game. They did, you know, they were bringing everything that they've got, you know, and so, you know, it'll be there. They're a really good defense. They're going to be a really good football team, but I thought I did a great job tonight. As you drop as you preseason is now over you like where the team is at this point. I do, you know, and there's always, you know, we're it's a never-ending constant evolution and improvement constant growth. That's really what we want to be about. That's why we always talk about just stacking days, but what I thought the preseason represented was a great opportunity to be able to celebrate a lot of guys that don't even get a ton of practice reps and I thought they, you know, really did a great job of showing well for themselves, whether that's for us or for other teams. I love the vibe that I felt from our coaching staff in terms of working with our players and even the guys that weren't playing the way that they were able to celebrate their teammates each of the last few weeks and, you know, forever. It's going to be tough because, you know, I look at it as we got 70 guys that will be on our football team. It's 53, but then you got your, you know, 16 practice squad and then you have the one international. So you got 70 guys and we got 20 tough decisions to make and then really even some of the 53 decisions are going to be really difficult, but that's a positive based on what this locker room is about. So I was pleased knowing that there's a lot of growth ahead and it's crazy to think that two weeks from tonight we'll be playing in Australia. So here we go. Is that unique in terms of because it's in Australia and it is two weeks away or is it wake up tomorrow morning and you're on nine or yeah, I mean, I've been on the night, you know, it's one of those deals. The answer is yes, it is unique. You know, I mean we when we in the 22 season when we opened on that Thursday night, but it's a little bit different rhythm and routine where even some of the mandated days off that typically, you know, end up being on like Friday Saturday Sunday or Monday Tuesday Wednesday for us, you know, moving forward. So it's a little bit different, but hey, we will have a unique schedule in general just based on it seems like we play on every day of the week this year. So that won't be an excuse. We'll be ready to go and I'm excited to get going with this team with that. Aaron has earned the right to make the decision in his timeline, but do you expect him to make a decision and it to be a quick process to get on the roster and deal with the contract or do you think it might take time for when he tells you that he wants to return for him? I think all of those things are up in the air, you know, and I I wish I had a little bit better, you know, ability to give you some clarity, but it's really one of those deals that you know what we're doing. We're focusing on this football team. Aaron knows that, hey, if he wants to be able to do that, that's something that we absolutely want to entertain and be able to figure out and that's really kind of all there is to it right now. With adding 2-2, you know, it feels like you have a lot of receiver options that are doing pretty well as it is. So when you talk about making tough decisions, are you confident that you'll be able to keep as many as you feel like you've earned that right? At receiver? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, part of it. There's some semantics that you guys will see when when our 53 comes out that, you know, we have a couple things that we can do that creatively give us an opportunity to be able to onboard 2-2 without affecting any of the guys that would have been originally slotted for, you know, what we projected as our 53. Sean, did you take the 2-2 today? Oh, yeah, absolutely. So what was his reaction, if you could, about coming back? You know, I think he was excited. You know, I think he enjoyed his time at Miami and, you know, I said, you don't have a choice. You're coming here, you know, so it didn't really matter whether he wanted to or not. But it's, I love 2-2. There's a lot of love for 2-2 Atwell in this locker room and a lot of familiarity. And so I know Miami's home for him, but this is his second home. So we're excited to be able to welcome him back.
Unknown: Okay. Thanks, guys.
Unknown: Hey, guys. What's everybody doing? Um, yeah, with, you know, more reps, more time. It's understanding everything. Um, you know, Matthew and Stetson helping me out every chance I can get. You know, I feel really good with where I'm at. But, you know, still got a, you know, a lot I need to work on.
Unknown: Talk to people last year to charter to the top five defense. Can you just talk to me about the speed of the game? How did things feel for you in the pocket?
Unknown: Yeah, you know, it definitely is faster for sure. I knew their starters were going to play at least the first series. My dad actually told me that. But I was excited because it was my first time to where, you know, I was going against, you know, real guys in a real game. And, you know, it felt like I expected it to feel, you know, fast, have to make quick decisions. You know, knowing, you know, where my outlets are, it just felt good to be out there.
Unknown: Ty, can you walk us through the 11-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone and just kind of how that came together?
Unknown: Yeah, you know, me and Rags kind of went through some stuff yesterday, two days ago of, you know, just some blitzes and third downs and stuff. So I kind of had an idea that in the red zone, you know, they were going to go man. There was some miscommunication online with a funky front, you know, and I tried not to take a negative play and BP did a good job of, you know, playing football, getting open. And I just tried to get the, you know, good play of the ball.
Unknown: You feel is comfortable moving to the left is to the right. You've done some of both of that pre-season.
Unknown: Yeah, you know, I think that as a quarterback right, like you got to be, you know, ambidextrous as much as you can, you know, not as everybody, you know, feels comfortable throwing to the right. But if you can throw to the left too, like it makes, you know, it hard on defenses. I think Sean and Nate and, you know, Rags do a great job of emphasizing that in practice of, you know, making sure that, you know, we get our shoulders, you know, turned and making sure that, you know, we make every throw to the left just as much as we do to the right. And so, you know, I try to make that match up as best as I can.
Unknown: Ty, throughout camp and throughout the pre-season, there's been tremendous comfort, chemistry with CJ Daniels. Can you just talk to me about how that has developed and how do you, how do you, how has it played out for you?
Unknown: Yeah, you know, I knew CJ, you know, coming in the draft process just because of seeing what he did at Miami, you know, I'm good friends with Carson Beck. So I knew that, you know, he had a good chemistry with him and then his teammate, James Rockermeyer, who was a former teammate of mine. And then, you know, meeting him when we drafted him, I could tell his maturity. It can tell like his love for the game and, you know, how he loved the work. We would, you know, in OTAs, he would want to meet on weekends and go over, you know, walk-throughs and understand the rules of quarterback and just, you know, be a sponge and soak everything up. So coming in here together, meet him, Max Claire, Keegan, all those guys on offense just trying to stay together as a rookie class and just try to build, you know, the chemistry and understand that like, you know, hey, we want to make an impact as best as we could. And, you know, he's been a blanket for me. He knows what to do at every play. He's a great football player and just, you know, he's a savvy, mature, you know, person. And I really, really enjoy being a teammate of his.
Unknown: And, Tom, regardless of, you know, you knew you were going to be behind Matthew regardless of whether you're second or third on that list. What did you feel like you've learned through this preseason experience getting that opportunity to, you know, play with offense?
Unknown: Yeah, you know, one, just to turn the ball, just, you know, understanding the offense in general of what, you know, Sean and Nate emphasize of, you know, what we want to, you know, be our identity and, you know, our separators as an offense. Learning that through the, you know, couple months has really, you know, I felt like took my game to another level of just understanding overall like, hey, you know, this is how the NFL game is because it's a different than in college game. You know, I feel like I've, you know, even though I didn't play much in college, being around my dad and being around, you know, other good college football players like Bryce and Jalen, I know, you know, the game pretty well. And then coming here and, you know, learning from Sean, who's been in it and one of the best, you know, learned from Matthew who is, you know, the best and then, you know, learned from Stets. And just, you know, everything that I've learned these, you know, last couple months has been grateful and, you know, I'm really looking forward to the, you know, the season and, you know, years to come.
Unknown: How do you feel like you've grasped the playbook and what have been the challenges of learning this playbook?
Unknown: Yeah, you know, I still don't know it, you know, like I want to, you know, I want to know the ins and outs of everything, the whys, you know, but I do feel like I have a better understanding each day I go into work. And just understanding, like, you know, hey, these are our rules, you know, hey, this, we want this to look like this. And then just, you know, technique, you know, hey, like, you know, on this play, like, it's going to be hard for you to look at this route, right, but, like, you know, try to make it match it up so we can manipulate the defense. And, you know, that's why it's so, you know, great to be in a room with two great guys and rags who, you know, help a young guy like myself, but also can do it at a high level, you know, with Stets and then Matthew.
Unknown: Hey, Ty, talk of adversity. Not getting a lot of reps, but still acts to be productive.
Unknown: Yeah, you know, I think adversity, you know, starts in my college career, right? You know, not playing many games didn't get to start in my fourth year, but, you know, always trying to be better and be the best guy I could be. And, you know, when that opportunity comes to, you know, make the most of it, you know, there was a time in college to where I did get an opportunity. I didn't capitalize, and I told myself I was never going to do that again. So I knew coming in, you know, to this organization that it was Matthew's team. And, you know, I was going to be behind him, but I told myself, right, like, regardless of the circumstance, like, I'm always going to be mentally ready. I'm always going to be prepared like I'm going to play because it's only going to help you. You know, there's no, you know, pity parties for you sitting around saying, I wish I could be back in college or I wish I could be, you know, on another team or another organization that does, you know, no good. You got to be where your feet are. You know, Shawn says all the time, be present. Well, you know, I'm present as a, you know, a backup quarterback on the Los Angeles Rams to, you know, two really good, you know, quarterbacks and really good human beings. And so, you know, taking as much, you know, reps as I can and asking questions. I say this all the time. You know, Matthew and Stetson probably think that I'm the annoying little kid, little brother because I asked him so many questions, but it really helps me a lot. So, you know, the adversity comes, but, you know, it's, you know, pipes, water, it makes diamonds or busts. So, you know, just got to keep going.
Unknown: Communicate to you, Shawn, communicate to you whether you'll be the backup quarterback in Australia.
Unknown: Yeah, you know, I don't really ask him that. You know, I kind of just do what I'm told and go in when I go in. You know, I think it really doesn't really matter if I'm being honest, like what I am, because this is Matthew's team. And, you know, I'm behind him 100%, and I know Stetson is, and there's nobody, you know, his biggest fans besides us, too. And, you know, he has our support 100%, and, you know, that's all that really matters.
Unknown: Ty, now that's a regular season in Syria, the team is getting ready to prepare for the ultimate Swiss Army knife in Christian McCaffrey. You have Dean Connors who today show a tremendous ability to run inside the tackles, outside, catch the ball out of the backfield. Can you just talk to me about the level of versatility that he brings to the team, and as a quarterback, how does that type of versatility help him?
Unknown: Yeah, it's a little McCaffrey is what he is. But it helps us a lot, right? Like, you saw him, you know, do it all preseason. He can, you know, do it all from, you know, run downhill to run out wide to run routes. You know, he talks about Christian all the time. I know he works out with him, but it helps us, right, because we can do so many things. You look at all our backs, right? Like, they're all the same type of scat back to where, you know, you can, you know, put them out wide to run, you know, a route, or they can run downhill. They got great vision. So, you know, shout out to all those guys, and Dean's done a great job. So, having him is, you know, really, really resourceful. I'm looking forward to, you know, seeing what he does.
Unknown: Awesome. Thank you, guys.