What Matthew Stafford’s Remarks Reveal About Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson

Rams' Matthew Stafford Evaluates Rookie Terrance Ferguson

“He’s done a nice job,” Stafford said of Ferguson. “Obviously, missed a little bit of time there in training camp. So, having him back out there has been great.”

“He’s got a ton of talent. A guy that’s figuring out the NFL, understanding where he fits in our offense. He’s got a bunch of guys in that room to really lean on to help show him the way. Just happy to have him on our team. Really talented kid and a person that cares about football, cares about our team," Stafford continued."

Stafford's confidence in Ferguson is notable as it surpassed generic "the rookie is making progress" comments.

While Stafford highlighted Ferguson's raw talent, he also was quick to note that Ferguson is set up success in terms of learning how to play in the NFL. His comments make it seem like the Rams are actively working Ferguson into the offense - while Ferguson is actively becoming an asset to the team on the field and in the locker room. This bodes well for a Rams team looking to make noise in a competitive NFC conference in 2025.

Ferguson returned from injury to practice in early August and all signs point to a fully-healthy rookie. He made his NFL preseason debut vs. the Cleveland Browns and fellow Oregon Duck (and best friend) Dillon Gabriel.

In game action, Ferguson showed off his electric burst with a 67-yard touchdown for Rams but the score was overturned after replay ruled him out of bounds following a 33-yard gain. However, Ferguson still impressed with two catches for 48 yards, the second-most receiving yards for the Rams.

Ferguson's Fit With Sean McVay's Rams

Ferguson could be a plug-and-play fit in McVay's offense, which likes to target the tight end heavily. The Rams' 12-personnel options open up with Ferguson and veteran tight end Tyler Higbee. On the Rams documentary, McVay mentioned the possibility of utilizing 12-personnel more after the Rams drafted Ferguson. Ferguson is currently the No. 2 tight end on the Rams depth chart behind Higbee.

Ferguson has the support of McVay who compared the Duck to elite NFL tight end talent.

“He’s a versatile player. It enables us to be a little bit more multiple in some of the personnel we can present to defenses," McVay said via SiriusXM's Adam Schein. "He reminds me a lot of Chris Cooley... He has some similar body mannerisms to Travis Kelce."

During his four seasons with the Ducks, Ferguson became the Oregon all-time tight end leader in receptions at 134 and touchdowns with 16. Ferguson has gathered 1,537 receiving yards through his 53 games played.

Now, Ducks fans will turn to Sundays to watch Ferguson in his first season as a pro. Ferguson and the Rams play at SoFi Stadium against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7 at 1:25 p.m. PT.