Rams Share Honest Feelings on Emmanuel Forbes

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. On Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke to reporters and when asked about Emmanuel Forbes, McVay did not hesitate to praise his cornerback's growth over the last year as Forbes has worked his way from being cut by the Washington Commanders and being inactive on the Rams' roster to starting games and maintaining the strength of the Rams' defense.

Forbes' career turnaround has shocked many but for the Rams, they saw the vision a long time ago.

McVay on Forbes

“It’s a good question. What you realize is this guy's grown physically and mentally. You're seeing him mature as a human being. I think what's cool is he's added some weight without losing the athleticism and the movement. You see why he had all the production he did in his college career. He’s got a great concept trigger and great ball skills. I think there are different opportunities that he can play where he’s direct vision on the receiver or he’s being able to play visual on the quarterback with some different things that we do coverage wise."

Sep 7, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay after winning the game against Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I think just getting more and more comfortable with the ability to understand the intent of the calls, the different coverage contours, where some of his play ops [opportunities] are, what plays is he responsible for making? Then what are other ones where you say, ‘Hey man, that's an unbelievable job, but get back in the huddle and play the next snap.’ He’s just maturing and he's growing. I think he's earned the right to have a lot more confidence."

"I just love the rapport that he has with his teammates. It’s really cool to see the relationship that he and [Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs Coach] Aubrey [Pleasant] are developing. [There’s] a lot of trust that's allowed him to continue to grow. Him along with [Cornerback] Cobie Durant, I could say a lot of the same for. He’s playing really good football for us. I thought it was cool for [Cornerback] Darious [Williams] to step in and play the quality snaps that he did when Ahkello [Witherspoon] went out, like I mentioned earlier.”

Emmanuel Forbes Talks Rams Culture

In an exclusive interview, Forbes told me during training camp that is was Pleasant who first met with Forbes and set the foundation for his career turnaround.

"Coach AP told me, look me in my eyes, and as soon as I walked in the building, he said, 'I don't give a damn what the other team did to you, you got a fresh start here, and it's up to you to prove it. So, yeah, it is a great feeling," stated Forbes.

Pleasant's Take on Emmanuel Forbes

I would follow up with Coach Pleasant for his thoughts on what Forbes had to say about him.

“Yeah, that’s awesome," stated Pleasant. "Thank you for saying that. I did not know [Cornerback] [Emmanuel] Mr. Forbes said that. It's our job as a teacher and a coach to help elevate our talent. It's our job to get the most out of our talent."

Aug 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams acting head coach Aubrey Pleasant (left) talks with quarterback Stetson Bennett IV (13) in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I learned very quickly being here with Mr. Forbes that he was a phenomenal talent that I don't know if it previously had ever been asked to do more to make his game more of a technical game than just pure athletic game. I think as a cerebral football player that he is, I think he really appreciates and enjoys the challenge and understands that I'm attacking him on a technical approach and not physiological approach.”

The man from Mississippi has planted roots in Los Angeles and he's as confident as ever.

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