Sports
Rams move training camp to LMU; Matthew Stafford's contract situation is unmoved
After conducting training camp at UC Irvine since their return to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams this year are moving preseason workouts to Loyola Marymount, the team announced Tuesday.
Will starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who wants his contract adjusted, be there when training camp opens in late July?
After watching Stafford go through the first workout of organized-team activities open to the media Tuesday, coach Sean McVay was asked if he was confident Stafford would be there for the start of training camp.
“I’m confident that he’s been out here leading the way,” McVay said.
If that sounds noncommittal, well, at least McVay is consistent.
Stafford, 36, is scheduled to earn $31 million this season and carry a salary-cap number of $49.5 million, according to Overthecap.com.
Stafford has two additional years left on the extension he signed in 2022 after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title, but the salaries of $27 million and $26 million are not guaranteed, according to the website.
During the draft, McVay confirmed a report that Stafford wanted his contract adjusted to include guaranteed salary beyond this season. He also expressed confidence the Rams and Stafford would come to an agreement on his contract situation and that he would participate in OTAs.
“There’s nothing that’s more important than making sure that he feels appreciated,” McVay said at the time, “and he knows how much we love him and want him to lead the way and, you know, I think that the commitment that I think he wants to have can be reciprocated and we want to work toward figuring that out.”
In April, when the Rams opened their offseason workout program, Stafford was not among players made available to reporters. He was not made available to reporters Tuesday, and his availability during OTA workouts is to be determined, a team spokesman said.
Rams’ coach Sean McVay instructs quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during their organized team activity Tuesday.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
“He’s here and we appreciate that and he knows that,” McVay said. “I’ve had good conversations with him about football, and anything other than that really just going to keep it in house.”
Stafford appeared sharp during drills and 11-on-11 situations. The quarterback’s contract situation is not affecting his preparation or play, receiver Cooper Kupp said.
“There’s been no change in his attitude, the way he comes in and approaches things, the way he’s interacting with guys in meetings, coaches and with guys out here,” Kupp said. “He’s a pro’s pro. He’s going to be out here and be the best version of Matthew for the team.
“And so, whatever’s going on with that, he’s not letting it affect anything about what the goal is for the L.A. Rams this year.”
It seems unfathomable the Rams would not work out an agreement with Stafford before training camp.
The 15-year veteran bounced back from injuries in 2022 and a thumb injury early last season and keyed the Rams’ unexpected run to the playoffs.
Rams quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, left, and Jimmy Garoppolo walk and talk Tuesday during their organized team activity.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to be Stafford’s backup but Garoppolo is suspended for the first two games — against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals — for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy when he played for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stetson Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick in 2023, is participating in the offseason program after spending his rookie season on the NFL’s non-injury/illness list because of an unspecified issue. Bennett was not made available to reporters Tuesday.
“Stetson’s had a couple good days and it’s been good having him out here,” McVay said.
Quarterback Dresser Winn also is on the roster.
The depth chart for the opener against the Lions will come into clearer focus during training camp.
At Loyola Marymount, players, coaches and staff will return to living in dorms for several weeks. That will be a change from the last several years. The Rams were in dorms at Irvine for a few years, but during the last several years they stayed at a luxury hotel in Newport Beach and bused to the Irvine campus.
That travel time counted against the hours teams are allowed to practice and meet under terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Fans will be allowed to attend select practices, the team announced, but the footprint at Loyola Marymount is smaller than Irvine.
“Our organization constantly looks to evolve our operations, and calling LMU home for these few weeks presents incredible opportunities for this new chapter of Rams Training Camp,” Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ chief operating officer said in a statement.
Etc.
Running back Kyren Williams will not participate in OTAs because of a foot issue, but he will be ready for training camp, McVay said. … Linebacker Ernest Jones IV was not in attendance because of an excused absence, McVay said. … New guard Jonah Jackson, who played last season for the Lions, is not participating in 11-on-11 situations because of “some things after the season” that made him “not quite ready,” for full participation, McVay said.
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An internet rumor swirled last week that a longtime NFL reporter had died at the age of 40.
News of Jane Slater’s supposed death on social media, but she was quick to shut it down.
An X user posted a screenshot of a post on Facebook that showed Slater in black and white with the graphic “1980-2025” saying she had died at 40. Slater, 45, was born in 1980, but the years written in the post would mean she died at either age 44 or 45.
NFL Network sideline reporter Jane Slater stands on the sidelines prior to an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field on Dec. 26, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
“A veteran reporter who covered the Dallas Cowboys—having followed the team for over a decade—has passed away at the age of 40 after a tragic domestic violence incident, leaving behind a 5-year-old child. Her years of dedicated work, along with the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding her death, have left loyal fans stunned, devastated, and praying for her and her family,” the post read.
The user asked Slater, “did you pass away??”
Jane Slater speaks with T.Y. Hilton of the Dallas Cowboys after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 24, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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“I don’t think so? But does this mean there is (a) glitch in the matrix? I’m gonna wrap myself in bubble wrap until NYE,” Slater joked.
If there is one thing the Facebook post got correct, it’s that Slater does mainly cover the Cowboys for the NFL Network.
NFL Network reporter Jane Slater on the sideline prior to an NFC Wild Card Playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 16, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Prior to joining in 2016, Slater worked for ESPN and the Longhorn Network, having attended the University of Texas. She also hosted a radio show in Dallas.
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Tennis legend Venus Williams wed Danish model and actor Andrea Preti over the weekend in Florida, the new bride announced in a shared post.
An Instagram post from Vogue Magazine’s Weddings section announced the nuptials, with the message garnering more than 30,000 likes as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We all love each other so much,” Williams, 45, said in the Vogue post. “It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day.”
The post was scant on details other than the event took place over five days in and around the couple’s home in Palm Beach Gardens.
An email for comment to representatives for Williams and Preti, 37, was not immediately returned.
The couple met at 2024 Milan Fashion Week and began texting shortly after, according to Vogue.
The couple eventually became engaged on Jan. 31 in Tuscany, according to Vogue. That detail was confirmed in July during what was a historic month for Williams.
The Compton native defeated 23-year-old Peyton Sterns 6-3, 6-4 in the first round action of the D.C. Open after a 16-month hiatus from singles matches.
In victory, Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, trailing only fellow legend Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she won in 2004.
“Yes, my fiance is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams told the Tennis Channel’s Rennae Stubbs in a post-match interview. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. … He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful [for him] to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
Preti has written, acted and directed in a handful of films, primarily in Italy.
The wedding was the second for the couple, who also held a ceremony in Italy in September.
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As Philip Rivers has shown he could still tear up the NFL at age 44, American Olympic legend Lindsey Vonn has also proven that age is just a number.
Vonn, 41, qualified for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, Team USA announced on Tuesday. It will be the fifth Winter Olympics that she competes in.
United States’ Lindsey Vonn reacts at the finish area of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
Vonn had an impressive run at the World Cup in France over the weekend. She was third in super-G, hitting a high speed of 71 mph. It was her second consecutive podium finish after she was third in downhill. It was the 142nd podium finish in her World Cup career.
“I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics!” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me. Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.
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United States’ Lindsey Vonn celebrates on the podium after taking third place in an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
“I am grateful for how the season has gone so far, but I am just getting started. See you in Cortina!”
Vonn has already put together an enviable career in skiing.
She won a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Games and two bronze medals in Pyeongchang in 2018. She’s also taken home two gold, three silver and two bronze medals in the World Championships.
The Minnesota native also has 83 World Cup wins and several International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Crystal Globes.
Notably, she’s back competing for gold after being away from the sport for five years.
Austria’s Cornelia Huetter, left, winner of an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second-placed Germany’s Kira Weidle Winkelmann, left, and third-placed United States’ Lindsey Vonn, in Val D’Isere, France, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
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The Winter Olympics will begin on Feb. 6 and run through Feb. 22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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