IN PHOTOS: Dodgers’ $700,000,000 Shohei Ohtani gets gifted special jersey by Rams ahead of TNF matchup vs Saints
The Los Angeles Rams have an esteemed guest tonight, as Shohei Ohtani goes from one "National" team to another.
Over a week after signing a record-breaking $700-million deal with the National League's Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-way baseball star was spotted at SoFi Stadium, home of the National Football Conference team ahead of their game against the New Orleans Saints.
He was seen being very happy, at one point receiving a bespoke jersey:
Ohtani's compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamato had also been reportedly expected to attend the game as well, according to the Los Angeles Times' Jack Harris; however, plans apparently changed and he has since been declared absent, as first broken by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The Rams and Saints are currently tied at 7-7 apiece, but each team has different goals. The former is looking to surpass the Seattle Seahawks for one of the Wild Card spots, while the latter is eyeing the NFC South title.
Rams players are excited for big game against Saints
As said before, the Los Angeles Rams have a crucial game ahead of them against the New Orleans Saints.
After a massive regression in 2022, the Super Bowl LVI winners have returned to playoff contention in 2023 thanks to some stellar performances. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has mostly regained his elite form, missing just one game and throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Speaking to reporters on the Tuesday before the game, the former Detroit Lion said he was not overstressing its implications:
“It's another football game we got to get prepared for in a short amount of time, both physically and mentally.”
But for defensive tackle Aaron Donald, there is no margin for error:
"I think every game's like a playoff game now, right? We ain't got much room for no losses."
Another player who has been crucial to the Rams’ resurgence is wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Since his debut in Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles, he has been a offensive crucial component alongside the returning Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua, and he likes the camaraderie in the WR corps:
"I think just the depth of our room in general, there's trust in whoever it is that's on the field, and guys know that they're going to be expected to do everything."
The game can be streamed now on both Amazon Prime and FuboTV.