When the Los Angeles Rams acquired Von Miller from the Denver Broncos in a trade earlier this week, the sports world was flipped on its proverbial head. While everyone had their own personal reaction to the trade, Matthew Stafford shared his initial reaction to the news of Miller joining the Rams.
“I was excited. I’ve been a fan of Von Miller for a long time,” Stafford said Wednesday. “He’s a big-time player in this league. Just knowing adding him into a defense that’s already got a bunch of playmakers, has the possibility of being something really special. So just happy we could get it done and excited to see what comes with it.”
The idea of Miller joining a defense that already employs Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Leonard Floyd is still hard to wrap my head around. It’s a quartet that rivals any in the NFL, giving the Rams yet another impactful player on defense.
Stafford, who was traded himself by the Detroit Lions to the Rams in the offseason, discussed what his advice was to Miller after he was traded by the Broncos.
“Just embrace it. I know he will. He’s surrounded by a bunch of good dudes and big-time playmakers on that side of the ball,” he said. “So just embrace it, dive right in. I know as a team we’re excited to have him, so that obviously helps. We’ll do everything we can to pull him along as quickly as we possibly can. I know once he’s out there, he’s going to be a big value for us.”
Throughout his career, Stafford only had an opportunity to face Miller and the Broncos twice. The last time Stafford got a chance to go up against Miller was back in 2015, which resulted in a double-digit loss for the Lions.
Even though Stafford has never been sacked by Miller in his career, it’s safe to say he’s glad that he’ll only have to line up against the All-Pro edge rusher in practice and not on Sundays for the rest of this season.
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