Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence Monday night in Los Angeles, according to a person with knowledge of the incident not authorized to speak publicly.

Jackson was arrested shortly before 11 p.m. after police responded to a call at a home in West Hills. Upon arrival, police determined that the woman involved in the incident had recorded the interaction and noticed scratch marks on her arms, the person said. Jackson was arrested and later released on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records. His next court date is scheduled for June 30.

The specific charge Jackson was arrested for is a person who “willfully inflicts physical or corporal injury resulting in a ‘traumatic condition’ [such as a bruise, scratch, swelling, or internal injury] on an intimate partner.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case for potential charges.

“We are aware of the incident regarding Alaric Jackson, and we take these matters very seriously,” the Rams said in a statement. “Due to this being an ongoing legal situation, we cannot comment further at this time.”

Jackson, 27, is entering his sixth season with the Rams, his fourth as the starting left tackle and quarterback Matthew Stafford’s blindside protector.

Jackson was suspended by the NFL in 2024 for violating its personal conduct policy.

In November, a woman filed a lawsuit against Jackson alleging he recorded her without her consent during sex. The woman alleged that Jackson repeatedly refused to delete the video and then taunted her with it. The woman reported the incident to the NFL, but the civil case was dismissed.

Jackson, who joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2021, signed a three-year deal with the team in February 2025 that included $35 million in guarantees.

Jackson is scheduled to earn $18.4 million this season for a team regarded as a Super Bowl favorite.

Jackson had been participating in voluntary organized-team activities, which conclude this week.

Times staff writers Richard Winton and Gary Klein contributed to this report.

Aaron Donald has made no public pronouncements that he will remain retired or return to play for the Rams.

But the three-time NFL defensive player of the year and future Hall of Famer remains a hot topic, and Rams players are aware of the buzz.

“When you have a guy that’s that serious about even considering coming out, it’s like, ‘OK, we might have a chance,’” safety Quentin Lake said Monday after the Rams completed an organized-team activity workout.

Chatter about Donald, 35, has been rampant since last week, when the Rams made another gigantic offseason move by trading for defensive end Myles Garrett.

The possibility of pairing Donald with Garrett — a two-time defensive player of the year — continues to intrigue both in and out of the Rams’ facility.

Like Lake, defensive lineman Kobie Turner insistently cautioned that whatever Donald decides to do or not do was his former teammate’s prerogative.

But the possibilities…

“To just have two historic, if you will, defensive players on that line together,” Turner said of pairing Donald and Garrett, “and to have the rest of us who are trying to build up our reputations, and to build to that level of greatness that they’ve been able to garner, I think that would be cool for L.A.”

Said defensive coordinator Chris Shula: “Would love to have him back — with open arms.”

Shula enters his third season overseeing a defense remade by the March trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, the signing of cornerback Jaylen Watson and the trade for Garrett.

With or without Donald, the Rams are regarded as a favorite to win Super Bowl LXI, which will be played in February at SoFi Stadium.

But the Rams are not hoisting the Lombardi Trophy just yet, Lake said.

“Some people say if he were to come back, just hand the Lombardi to us on a silver platter — but that’s never the case,” Lake said. “Is he a fantastic player? Yes.

“Are there so many things we could do in terms of pressures and blitzes and all that stuff? Of course. … It would be a fun year, I’ll say that.”

With quarterback Matthew Stafford — the NFL most valuable player — back to lead the offense, and McDuffie and Watson solving the team’s greatest weakness, the Rams already were regarded among the favorites to play in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in 2022.

Then general manager Les Snead engineered the deal for Garrett, sending edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Cleveland Browns for a player who has 125 ½ sacks in nine seasons.

Lake, Turner and Shula lamented losing Verse — “a brother for life,” Turner said — but they have welcomed Garrett.

“You give a great player to get a great player,” Lake said, “and luckily, we’ve got arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. … We’re not asking Myles to do anything but just be himself.”

Last season, Garrett amassed an NFL season-record 23 sacks.

“We’re going to let him do what he does best,” Shula said, “and we all know exactly what he does best.”

McDuffie and Watson were part of Kansas City Chiefs teams that played in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning titles in 2023 and 2024. Those teams featured dominating pass rusher Chris Jones, so McDuffie knows how a player such as Garrett enables the defense to “flip the script” and attack offenses.

“You just talk about mentality,” McDuffie said, “and a swag.”

Donald, who has 111 sacks, would certainly add to that.

Not every player in their mid-30s could return and play at a high level after sitting out two seasons.

“I don’t think you do that if you’re a normal person,” Turner said, chuckling. “But A.D.’s not a normal person.”

Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion and beloved TV broadcaster with the Chicago Bulls, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 59.

No cause of death has been disclosed.

“Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history,” Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “His connection to Chicago, the Bulls and our fans spanned more than three decades — first as a player and later as the unmistakable voice that helped bring Bulls basketball into the homes of generations of fans.

“We will miss him deeply and remember the joy, energy, humor, candor and passion he brought to our organization, our broadcasts and our fans every day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan said in a statement he is “deeply saddened” by his former teammate’s death.

“We shared some special years together as teammates, and he was part of a group that helped define an era of Chicago Bulls basketball. My thoughts are with Stacey’s family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched.”

Born Jan. 29, 1967, the Lawton, Okla., native became a star playing at Oklahoma from 1985 to 1989, leading the Sooners to the national championship game in 1988 and back into the Sweet 16 the following year.

King ranks sixth in Oklahoma history with 2,008 career points and eighth with 825 career rebounds.

“We are heartbroken over the passing of Stacey King, a true Oklahoma legend,” current Sooners coach Porter Moser said in a statement. “Stacey was one of the most accomplished and likeable players in OU men’s basketball history, and he meant so much to our program because of his passion for the sport and the university.

“His smile, energy and spirit were his hallmarks, not to mention his silky-smooth left-handed stroke. … Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones, and we will thoughtfully honor him throughout our upcoming season.”

Selected by the Bulls at No. 6 overall in the 1989 draft, King became mainly a backup on a team that starred Jordan and Scottie Pippen and won three consecutive championships from 1991 to 1993.

During King’s rookie season, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 28, 1990.

King, who scored one point during the game, quipped afterward, “I’ll always remember this as the night that Michael Jordan and I combined to score 70 points.”

In four-plus seasons with the Bulls, King averaged 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds.

“Sad to hear about the passing of Stacey King,” Pippen wrote on X. “A champion, a great teammate, and a true ambassador for the game. His impact on the Bulls organization and the city of Chicago will be remembered for generations. Rest in peace, King.”

King rounded out his eight-year career with stints in Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas, then spent some time as a coach in the Continental Basketball Assn. and the NBA’s G League. He started appearing on Bulls broadcasts in 2006 and became the full-time color commentator in 2008, which also happened to coincide with the start of the Derrick Rose era in Chicago.

“Stacey loved being a Bull,” Bulls president and Chief Executive Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement. “You could feel it in everything he did — the way he played, the way he called games and the way he connected with our fans. He had a unique gift for bringing people together and making every game feel personal. He brought an energy and love for the game that came through in every broadcast, helping fans feel connected to our team.”

Chicago Sports Network president and CEO Michael McCarthy said: “Stacey had a unique ability to connect generations of Bulls fans. Whether through his basketball insight, his humor, or his unforgettable calls, he made every game more enjoyable and every broadcast better.”

A fan favorite for his witty wording and player nicknames, King turned his most famous catchphrase, “Gimme the Hotsauce,” into the name of his podcast.

“We enjoy what we do,” King said of his broadcasting gig on a podcast episode last month. “It’s a fun job. It never seems like work for me. Every night, I go to work, win, lose or draw, I’m having fun.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russell Wilson spent the last 14 years as an NFL quarterback.

He is the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

He’s a 10-time Pro Bowl selection whose moon ball is one of the prettiest, most dangerous downfield passes in league history.

Now he’s calling it quits — at least as a player.

On Wednesday, Wilson announced both his retirement from the league and his new gig as an analyst for CBS Sports on its studio show “The NFL Today.”

“I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most: being around the greatest game in the world,” Wilson said in a 3-minute video that he posted to social media with the caption, “Thank you, Football.”

The next day, CBS Sports announced the addition of Wilson and former three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long to “The NFL Today” on-air team. They will join a panel that will continue to include Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and James Brown.

Former NFL MVP Matt Ryan left the show this offseason to become the president of football for his longtime former team, the Atlanta Falcons. Former three-time defensive player of the year J.J. Watt exited the studio group the previous offseason to become a booth analyst for the network.

Long is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who spent all seven of his NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears. He has been with CBS Sports as a studio and game analyst since 2020. His father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long, has been a studio analyst on rival show “Fox NFL Sunday” since its inception in 1994.

“This is everything a boy like me could have ever dreamed of, having watched my dad be in the studio, sitting on James Brown’s knee in 1994 at the desk,” Long said Thursday during an appearance with Wilson on “CBS Mornings.” “I knew this is where I wanted to be. CBS has been awesome, and we get to do it every Sunday now.”

Burleson, also a host on “CBS Mornings,” said his advice to newcomer Wilson would be to “just bring the same passion that he brought for the game to the studio.”

“People are going to get to see a different side of Russ, which I’m excited about,” the former NFL receiver said.

Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 draft, Wilson led the team to its first Super Bowl championship following the 2013 season and back to the big game a year later. After 10 seasons in Seattle, he played two years with the Denver Broncos, one with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one with the New York Giants.

Last month, Wilson told the New York Post that he received an offer from the New York Jets to serve as a backup to quarterback Geno Smith. During his career, Wilson threw for 46,966 yards with 353 touchdowns and 114 interceptions and ran for 5,568 yards (fourth all-time for a quarterback) with 31 touchdowns.

In his video, Wilson expresses gratitude to many people, including former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll “for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Va., that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL.”

He also thanks his wife, pop star Ciara, “for being my greatest blessing, my best friend, my partner through it all,” and the rest of his family.

Ciara commented on Wilson’s Instagram post: “The best in the world! There’s only one, 3! Always so proud of you! It’s a true blessing to go on this journey with you! My greatest inspiration! I love you so much!”

And, of course, Wilson just wanted to say thanks to the sport he loves.

“You’ve been my joy and peace and safe place,” he said. “You taught me discipline, faith, resilience, how to keep believing, no matter the circumstances. You’ve given me purpose and opportunity, opportunity to inspire others and create change to continue to evolve the game, not just for me, but for the next generation of others.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Myles Garrett has played nine NFL seasons.

But with the Cleveland Browns, the five-time All-Pro defensive end never came close to reaching the Super Bowl.

That prospect changed dramatically this week when the Rams sent edge rusher Jared Verse, a first-round draft pick and two other future draft picks to the Browns in exchange for the two-time NFL defensive player of the year.

On Tuesday, Garrett sat between general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay during a news conference in Woodland Hills. Asked how he had viewed the Rams from afar, Garrett did not hesitate.

He said the Rams were talented, and then he pointed to his left at McVay.

“They love playing the game for this guy,” he said. “And that means a lot.”

Garrett, who led the NFL with a record 23 sacks last season, joins a Rams team that is regarded as a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

Garrett, 30, said he watched film of the Rams famed “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line of the 1960s and 70s when he was in high school. He is eager to add to the legacy that also includes Aaron Donald.

“I see a position to solidify myself here as well among the very greats,” he said. “I still have plenty of great years in front of me, and being able to cement that legacy not only as a football city here in L.A. but as an individual winning [defensive player of the year] and a Super Bowl or more.

“Those things are definitely pressed in my mind, and I have a definite bit of urgency to do it, and do it right away.”

Snead said the process of acquiring Garrett, the top pick in the 2017 NFL draft, began in March after Browns general manager Andrew Berry and Garrett agreed to adjust the extension Garrett signed the year before.

“Not sure if that was a signal,” Snead said, adding, “Thought I’d just check in … [Garrett’s] on their Mt. Rushmore, so they were a ‘no.’”

Snead said he pestered Berry “probably jokingly at first,” before talks became more serious before and after the NFL draft in late April.

They continued talking in May.

“Where it got a little tough for us is they asked for Jared Verse in return,” Snead said, “and similar to what Cleveland did at first, we were a ‘no.’”

But the Rams ultimately decided that giving up the 2024 NFL defensive rookie of the year for Garrett was worth the price.

“When you look at being able to acquire a player like this, these things don’t come up often,” McVay said, adding that parting ways with Verse was difficult. “The opportunity to be able to get an opportunity to work alongside Myles, he knows the respect and reverence I have for his game…

“He is a pain in the ass to game plan against and I’m glad we don’t have to do that anymore.”

Garrett said he found out about a week ago that a trade to the Rams was a possibility. He waived a no-trade clause to make it happen.

He said he would “always have love in my heart for Cleveland,” but the opportunity to be part of the Rams and have an “immediate and profound impact” was too good to pass up.

Now he joins a Rams team led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and a defense that features All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

“I don’t feel any pressure to be anything else or be anything different,” he said. “As long as I’m myself and come here to work everyday, and I’m a leader, success will follow.”

Last season, the Rams advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. During Garrett’s time in Cleveland, the Brown made only two playoff appearances and did not advance past the divisional round. Last season, they finished 5-12.

If the Rams play to their potential, Garrett should have ample opportunity to play in games against offenses in obvious passing situations and add to his 125½ career sacks.

“Being able to make those game-changing plays to win the game for us, those are things that appeal to me and I’m sure to appeal to all of us as D-linemen,” he said. “So that is something I really look forward to.”

What a thrill for the Rams. For Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. And for Myles Garrett, the generational defensive talent who finally got out of Cleveland and into a situation in which everyone cares as much about winning as he does.

But what about you, L.A. sports fan?

Are you hyped about the Rams’ latest blockbuster trade?

Or is LeBron James’ future dominating that part of your brain? Are you worried about getting home in time to catch the start of the Dodgers’ game?

Do tell: Were you shook by the Rams’ move Monday to acquire Garrett, the five-time All-Pro, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and all-time single-season sacks leader?

Have you started looking into Rams season tickets? Worrying about how you’re going to handle next February’s Valentine’s Day-Super Bowl conflict?

Did you shed a tear for Jared Verse, the young standout the Rams traded for Garrett along with a 2027 first-round pick, 2028 second-round pick and 2029 third-round pick — a steep, justified price to pay for someone of Garrett’s stature.

Have you been incessantly refreshing your social media feed and chuckling at the speculative jokes about Aaron Donald coming out of retirement to play alongside Garrett — hoping it’s all so funny because it’s going to become true? (For what it’s worth, McVay didn’t shut it down: “If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.”)

Do you appreciate what the Rams are doing?

That is: everything you want from a team in this town. Which is: everything it takes to win.

Their modus operandi? “To be courageous every single day and go swing and see what the hell happens,” as McVay put it during Garrett’s introductory news conference Tuesday at the team’s training facility.

The Rams will go for it on fourth, on long, on any day of the week ending in a Y.

They’re the rare organization that is forward-thinking and fastidious enough, as general manager Les Snead said, to be “always threading the needle,” focused on the future in a few minutes and in a few years. It’s not unlike what the Dodgers do, with their prize-winning farm system buffeting their star-studded, championship-winning, big-league club.

How long until the Rams’ version seriously, lastingly moves the needle? Until all of their home games feel like Dodgers games — like home games?

How closely were you paying attention in 2019, when they traded multiple first-round picks for cornerback Jalen Ramsey to pair with Donald? Do you remember when, two years after that, they traded quarterback Jared Goff and multiple first-round picks to the Detroit Lions for Stafford? And then signed free-agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and traded for edge rusher Von Miller?

Like this week’s Garrett deal, all those big swings were seismic and shockwave-inducing moves — throughout the NFL. But not necessarily the ground beneath the Rams’ feet.

Those bold transactions also won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 — we all remember that. But did you really latch on then?

The Rams had some dedicated sign-waving fans make their presence felt on a bridge over the 101 Freeway last season, but a recent survey said the team is the third-most popular team in L.A. … 35.6% behind the Dodgers.

Not surprisingly, the two-time defending World Series champions dominated a Loyola Marymount poll that asked residents to identify their favorite pro team among the 12 in the local media market. The Lakers, of course, were second — 20.9% ahead of the Rams.

Yes, the Dodgers have been playing in L.A. since 1958 and the Lakers since 1960 and they have won 20 titles between them since. The Rams moved to L.A. in 2016 after playing in St. Louis for 20 years — while Angelenos adopted teams for reasons beside geography or got comfortable living in a fantasy football land.

Garrett is new here, but he said his father is from L.A., as is his girlfriend, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim. He’s pals with James, the Lakers star who’s “been a positive force in my life,” Garrett said.

And so Garrett, a competitor in a city with a lot of competition, seemed to understand the local outlook when he said his goals in L.A. include cementing his own legacy, but also that of L.A. as a “football city.”

L.A. loves the Dodgers, the Lakers — and winners and stars.

And the Rams are primed to win, already they were the Super Bowl favorites before they went and got Garrett.

And he is another bright spot in the Rams’ constellation of Stafford, the NFL’s reigning MVP; Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, who last season led the league in receptions and receiving touchdowns. All of them — Garrett included — belong in the Lakers’ courtside seats among L.A.’s other stars.

The sentencing of Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg to 14 years in federal prison on Monday brings the NBA a step closer to concluding its nine-month investigation into the Clippers allegedly circumventing the salary cap.

Sanberg pleaded guilty in October to federal charges of conspiring to bilk investors out of $248 million for portraying the now-defunct Aspiration as a “socially-conscious and sustainable banking services and investment products” firm.

The NBA has declined to comment on the status of the probe centered on $60 million invested in Aspiration by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the $28-million contract Clippers star Kawhi Leonard signed with Aspiration for endorsement and marketing work that he never delivered.

Players are allowed to have separate endorsement and other business deals, but at issue is whether the Clippers participated in arranging the side deal beyond simply introducing Aspiration executives to Leonard. Doing so would be a violation of Article 13 of the NBA collective bargaining agreement, punishable by a $4.5-million fine, the loss of a first-round draft pick and the voiding of Leonard’s contract.

The NBA draft takes place June 23-24 and the Clippers have three picks, including the fifth overall selection. The league is not expected to release its findings until after the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

Clippers officials haven’t commented on the investigation. But Leonard, who has one year left on a three-year, $149.5-million contract that will pay him $50.3 million next season, told The Athletic after the Clippers’ season-ending game April 15 that “I think we’re going to be in the clear. I’m not stressing.”

Otherwise, among the few public comments about the investigation were letters submitted to federal court judge Stephen V. Wilson ahead of Sanberg’s sentencing by Ballmer and the law firm conducting the probe on behalf of the NBA.

The letter from Dave Anders of Wachtell Lipton stated that Sanberg provided documentation and information helpful to the NBA investigation during two in-person interviews.

“In all our dealings with Mr. Sanberg, both directly and through his counsel, he provided information that was consistent with our review of contemporaneous documents and other evidence,” Anders wrote. “Mr. Sanberg’s cooperation substantially assisted our investigation, including our ability to develop a more complete understanding of key events.”

Ballmer countered by asking Wilson for a stiff sentence in a five-page Victim Impact Statement posted on social media by his lawyer, David N. Kelley.

“Sanberg continues to exploit his fraud of Mr. Ballmer for his benefit, providing information to the NBA in return for a sentencing letter that the league submitted on his behalf,” Kelley wrote. “The reliability of Sanberg’s information is suspect given that he has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, and the government has made its own determination that he is not credible.”

Before handing down the sentence, Wilson made it clear that Sanberg’s credibility was questionable.

“He portrays himself as a do-gooder who was in business to help the world, but he did personally gain from his fraud,” Wilson said, later adding, “I would put the grade of his fraud at the zenith.”

Ballmer, a former longtime CEO of Microsoft who has owned the Clippers since 2014, accused Sanberg of targeting him for his well-known interest in environmental sustainability and exaggerating their relationship to convince others to invest in the fraudulent company. He said he met Sanberg only once.

Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration in September 2021. A month later, the Clippers announced a $300-million sponsorship deal with the company. Ballmer nearly granted Aspiration naming rights to the team’s new $2-billion venue as well, but instead chose financial services firm Intuit. Ballmer made an additional $10-million investment in Aspiration on March 9, 2023.

Ballmer was added in November as a defendant in a civil lawsuit against Sanberg and several others associated with Aspiration. Ballmer and the other defendants are accused by 11 investors in Aspiration of fraud and aiding and abetting fraud, with the plaintiffs seeking at least $50 million in damages.

Kelley contended that Ballmer was added as a defendant because of his “visibility and resources,” and portrayed the Clippers owner as a victim, saying “Mr. Ballmer’s losses are not measured solely, or even primarily, on a balance sheet. They are measured in the reputational damage that will take years to remediate, and in the chilling effect on future endeavors intended to do good.”

The lone public comment about the investigation from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came during All-Star Weekend in February at the Intuit Dome when he described the issue as “enormously complex.”

“You have a company in bankruptcy, you have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that needed to be interviewed,” Silver said.

The investigation was triggered by reports from podcaster Pablo Torre that Leonard’s sponsorship deal with Aspiration was to circumvent the salary cap. Torre and the staff of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” won a Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for their efforts.

As if anyone needed a reminder, the Rams know how to go all-in.

On Monday, the already Super Bowl-ready Rams pulled off another massive deal, acquiring defensive end Myles Garrett — the league’s defensive player of the year — in a trade with the Cleveland Browns for edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-rounder.

Garrett, 30, is a nine-year veteran, five-time All-Pro and two-time defensive player of the year. Last season, he amassed a league-high 23 sacks, increasing his career total to 125.5.

Garrett is scheduled to earn $31.5 million this season, according to Overthecap.com.

Verse, 25, was the 19th player chosen in the 2024 draft. He was the NFL defensive rookie of the year and last season had 7½ sacks for a Rams team that advanced to the NFC championship before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks.

Verse is scheduled to carry a salary-cap number of $4.1 million this season, according to Overthecap, but is presumably in line for a massive contract extension.

The Garrett trade is the second major offseason deal for the Rams. In March, they traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and then signed him to an extension that makes him the highest paid player at his position in NFL history.

The Rams are a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI, which will be played at SoFi Stadium.

The move bolsters an already formidable Rams pass rushing unit that has played a integral part in the Rams being among the favorites to win the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in February. During the 2021 season, the Rams traded for pass rusher Von Miller en route to winning the Super Bowl at home.

This is a developing story. The Times will have more soon on the Rams acquiring Garrett.

Matthew Stafford is a master at reading defenses.

The Rams star quarterback manipulates opposing players with his eyes. He knows what he sees.

So the reigning NFL most valuable player can easily anticipate, recognize and digest why moves — on or off the field — are made.

Which brings us to the Rams’ decision to select former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the NFL draft.

“I understand where the team’s coming from,” Stafford, 38, told reporters last week in his first public comments about a move that stunned many. “Listen, I’m not 25 years old and I get that, so we’re doing everything we can to be as good a football team as we can for now, for the future, for all of it.”

That doesn’t mean Stafford was thrilled about general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay spending a first-round pick on his heir apparent.

This, however, is not the San Francisco 49ers trading for Steve Young with Joe Montana on the roster.

But the Rams bypassed an opportunity to give Stafford and an already loaded roster another weapon such as former USC receiver Makai Lemon, who might have provided immediate impact to help them reach and win Super Bowl LXI in February at SoFi Stadium.

Because the Rams showed five years ago that going all in and winning a Super Bowl was worth it, regardless of the perceived and real costs down the road.

Regardless, the Rams are considered among the favorites to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since Stafford led them to victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

Like they did before and during that 2021 season, the Rams have done almost everything possible to ensure that owner Stan Kroenke can once again bask in the glory of winning a Super Bowl in the stadium he built.

After losing last season’s NFC championship game, the team quickly signed McVay and Snead — who were entering the final years of their contracts — to long-term extensions.

Then they improved their roster’s main weak spot by trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and signing cornerback Jaylen Watson — both of whom played on two Super Bowl championship teams with the Kansas City Chiefs.

On May 21, they signed Stafford to a one-year, $55-million extension that could keep him with the team through 2027.

Whether the 17-year veteran and reigning NFL most valuable player plays beyond 2026 remains to be seen.

But McVay is happy that the future hall of famer will be leading the offense.

“It’s great to be able to have that taken care of,” McVay said in his first news conference with local reporters since April 24, the day after the Rams drafted Simpson.

McVay had spent the previous availability explaining the reason for his somber and dour countenance during an awkward news conference the night before. McVay said he was trying to be respectful of Stafford’s status as the team leader, and that a personal situation also had affected his demeanor.

On the night the Rams drafted Simpson, McVay said he had spoken with Stafford beforehand. When asked what he told Stafford, McVay said, “I’ll keep that between us.”

Last week, when asked about his discussion with McVay, Stafford said, “I’m not going to get in too much to what our conversation was. I appreciate him talking with me about those kinds of things. We have constant dialogue and a great relationship so I appreciate that.”

Stafford said his job as the starting quarterback was to help all players, including Simpson, prepare for the season.

“He’s a guy that asks questions,” Stafford said. “I’ve been trying to answer those as honestly and as thoroughly as I possibly can.

“He’s a smart kid. He’s got talent, obviously. He’s a high draft pick so happy to add good players to our team.”

It is too early to quantify what Simpson has brought to the team, McVay said. The offseason workout program is about “setting foundations” that will help once players are participating in full-speed settings during training camp.

Simpson is on track for a lot of reps when camp begins in late July at Loyola Marymount.

Last year, Stafford was sidelined all of training camp because of a back issue. But he returned before the opener and won his first MVP award.

So the Rams are expected to modify Stafford’s traditional training camp workload — and aim for similar results.

Offseason workouts are going well, Stafford said.

“Throwing it like I know how to throw it and for somebody my age,” he quipped. “I feel pretty good.”

Even with the extension, the Rams and Stafford will continue to talk contract on a year-to-year basis, a practice they have followed since 2024, when Stafford delayed his arrival to training camp because of an impasse.

“I can’t sit there and tell you what it’s going to look like 365 days from now,” he said. “But it’s just one of those deals where I’m doing the best I can to make sure that I can play as long as I can and make sure that my family and I are all on the same page before we embark on whatever season it may be.”

If this season plays out as expected, the Rams could give Stafford another weapon at the trade deadline.

Until then, they’ve guaranteed him plenty of cash.

And motivation.