(East Los Angeles, CA) [From The Editor’s Desk]: On the final day of August, head Coach Sean McVay made a solo appearance, greeted by the always eager and prepared press corps eager for their post-practice interview time with him. They are keen to question him about the team’s status and readiness for a season in which the Rams are among experts’ choices as one of the top contenders to reach Super Bowl LXI/61, to be played at SoFi Stadium on February 14, 2027, Valentine’s Day.

This transcript highlights the naming of the 11 team captains and provides updates on players such as Myles Garrett, Justin Dedich, Terrance Ferguson, Aaron Donald, and others. It also includes Coach’s thoughts on traveling to Melbourne, Australia, for the season opener. This post is tailored for followers who prefer to read and gain a deeper understanding of Coach McVay’s insights on team preparation, rather than consuming shorter interviews or less detailed media content. We sincerely thank you for your patronage and greatly appreciate your support as we continue to develop this special weekly feature. 

Rams Transcripts – Head Coach Sean McVay – 8/31/26, Monday

[Head Coach Sean McVay]

(Opening Statement)…
“It has been a good day today. It was good to be able to get our guys in the practice squad. Aaron not being out there was part of the plan all along so that was par for the course. And then players voted on captains. We’ve got as much leadership as we’ve ever had since I’ve been the coach here and we’ve got five on offense, five on defense, one special teams captain. So the five on offense would be [QB] Matthew Stafford, [RB] Kyren Williams, [TE] Tyler Higbee, [OL] Coleman Shelton, and [WR] Davante Adams. On defense, it will be [DE] Kobie Turner, [DE] Myles Garrett, [ILB] Nate Landman, [S] Quentin Lake and [CB] Trent McDuffie. And then special teams will be [LS] Joe Cardona. So a lot of great leaders that we have, but those 11 guys represent really all the things that we want to be about. I think what is cool is all the position rooms and position groups are reflected with those 11 guys. With that being said, I’ll take your questions.”

(On the current status on DE Myles Garrett)
“He is doing good. He is making good progress. You would know more about the sleeve than me. I didn’t notice that he had a different sleeve on, but he’s making really good progress. Like we’ve said, goal all along has been Australia and he’s doing a lot of stuff outside of what you guys see and looking forward to getting him back out there.”

(On the status of TE Terrance Ferguson and ILB Grant Stuard)
“Those guys, we’re just really erring on the side of caution and knowing that we’ve got these three days off. They were a little bit sore and so we were being smart with them. My days are all messed up. It’s a bonus Monday for me on Friday. But our players will have Tuesday through Thursday off and then we’ll come back. It will be good to be able to really lean into the 49ers preparation with our players. Today was a little bit of a start of that.”

(On OL Justin Dedich and OL Keagen Trost being placed on the injured reserve list and where they are in their recovery)
“That’s right. They’re doing really good. They’re not quite ready yet. Maybe they’d be ready before Week 4, but we felt like there were some guys that were more than capable of really earning the roster spot. Justin just got that cast off so I think it’s a smart thing. Then Keagen with his hamstring from the Chiefs. Those guys will be ready to work and we’ll look forward to being able to start their clock when we can, but that won’t be for a little bit of time. But in the meantime, we feel good about the depth that we’ve been able to establish up front. Especially you’ve got your five guys that are your starters, but then to be able to have four guys you feel good about behind with [OL] David Quessenberry. [OL] Beaux Limmer has done a really nice job where he can really play all the spots on the inside. [OL] Dylan McMahon has been getting a bunch of reps at center. And then [OL] Bill Murray came in and truly earned a roster spot with the way that he played in the preseason games and the way he competed in practice so it was cool for him.”

(On whether his trust with Senior Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Reggie Scott and his athletic training staff make it easier to approve recovery)
“It does. It is a real edge. I don’t take for granted how lucky I am to work alongside Reggie. I remember when I first interviewed for the job and I had heard so many great things about him and the culture that he had established in that training room. And immediately you’re blown away with the character of the human being, but the capacity and the ability to connect with the players. All the things that we look for in coaches, Reggie checks every single box. What I love is we can collaborate because he understands football so he is able to give a sports science perspective, but also understands how necessary it is for us to get the reps. He’s a stud. He is as good as it gets and very grateful for Reggie and his whole group.”

(On whether he anticipates DT Aaron Donald practicing consecutive days after the off-days)
“We’re still working. Those are one of those things that we’re just taking it a day at a time. After he did a good job of getting some individual, figured we would pull back a little bit. And he did a lot of stuff right now. It was inside, off the field. So we will see how he is feeling and we’ll continue to…I know it is annoying as hell just saying, ‘We’re taking it a day at a time.’ But it is a unique thing. This has never been done before. I think him being able to help guide us and then being able to trust Reggie and what we think is best for the ramp up is what we’re going to do.”

(On how different it is with the opener being in Australia)
“Oh, very different. The players have three days off now. I think every time that you start a new season, there’s some familiarity because [49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] has been there doing his thing for such a long period of time. They have coordinator continuity on special teams. And then ‘Ra’ [49ers Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris] did a good job of being able to bring in some different mixers. But we want to be able to run our stuff. And really, you don’t need to chase ghosts when you’re going through the opener. You trust your players. You really set some of the foundational things that you want to do and then you have to be ready to adjust and adapt accordingly. But it is very different. The opening week, and really as you’re getting used to the first month of the season, it is a little bit different while you’re trying to establish your identity and have enough film to be able to go off representative data, especially if there’s not coordinator continuity on one side of the ball or the other.”

(On the process of figuring out Donald’s role on the defense)
“What is great about Aaron is he wants to earn everything that he gets. He and I talked about that yesterday and we’ve been talking about it because what he does have is great appreciation for the guys that are in here that have really done a great job over the last few years. And so, that is to be determined. I think a lot of it is contingent upon how does he feel. We haven’t even done 11-on-11 football with him yet. I think the first steps are to let us get him into some of those settings, see what that really looks like. Then he’ll help lead and guide us in terms of what that looks like to maximize him in addition to the other guys in that room.”

(On whether there’s a scenario where Donald wouldn’t go to Australia)
“Oh, yeah, absolutely. That could be a possibility. I wouldn’t rule anything out yet. I think sometimes when you put unnecessary parameters or guidelines on something it can skew things. But what I think is really good for us is if he’s able to go, great. If not, that’s how we’ve been operating as is and guys have done an excellent job of being able to do some really cool stuff in the meantime. And so, if he’s not ready and that is not what is best for him and for the team, absolutely wouldn’t have him play in Australia unnecessarily.”

(On his emotions going into the first game of the season)
“Excited. I think, number one, when you go through the team that we get a chance to work with, and I think about this coaching staff, very grateful. And you can say that with a lot of appreciation for the previous nine experiences that we’ve had in this setting. But excited, grateful, and as a competitor, what a great challenge. This is a great football team. I have as much respect for the 49ers players and their coaching staff as anybody. We’re looking forward to the challenge and it is going to be fun. And I’ll be interested to see how great the atmosphere is in Australia too. The flight will be long, but, hey, it is what it is.”

–RAMS–