The Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford are operating with a schedule concerning the experienced quarterback’s return to action as he manages discomfort in his back, but the team isn’t planning to share it publicly anytime soon. Speaking with the media on Tuesday, Rams head coach Sean McVay mentioned a “plan is in place” for Stafford, while refraining from specifying when the 37-year-old star player will return.
“Currently, a plan is in effect,” McVay communicated via the AP. “However, I prefer not to offer a specific date, because if that changes, it could lead to assumptions that something serious is happening. … Therefore, we are taking a week-by-week approach with him.”
Stafford is sitting out his second consecutive week of training camp drills because of the back problem, but McVay has consistently expressed his conviction that Stafford will be prepared when the Rams begin their season against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7.
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“I’d rather not provide you with a set date, which might change as we obtain additional information,” McVay commented. “However, I can affirm that this strategy is the most sensible for him, and we have strong confidence that he will be ready to play against the Texans, and we’ll evaluate it each week.”
McVay mentioned the previous week that Stafford had not experienced a setback but that he should have initially characterized his state as week-to-week. The head coach indicated that back pain is something Stafford has “experienced before.”
Stafford agreed to an adjusted contract with the Rams during the offseason. The revised arrangement will see Stafford receive $84 million over the next two years, which incorporates $44 million in guaranteed money for the 2025 season. Stafford accumulated 3,762 passing yards and threw 20 touchdown passes throughout his fourth season with the Rams in 2024.
The 2025 season will be Stafford’s 17th in the NFL. He guided the Rams to a Super Bowl victory at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
With Stafford out of action, the Rams have been depending on another veteran, 33-year-old Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo, who has 64 career starts spanning stints with the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and the Rams, has been in charge of the first-team offense during the training camp and would assume the QB1 role if Stafford is unavailable for any period.
