Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford 'Should Be Good to Go' vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Los Angeles Rams got a scare in Sunday's 29-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts, when quarterback Matthew Stafford came up limping in the third quarter, and remained noticeably hampered for the rest of the game.
Stafford was able to finish out the contest, leading the Rams on the touchdown-winning drive in overtime, hitting Puka Nacua for the go-ahead score on the opening drive of the extra period.
But on Monday, Rams head coach Sean McVay updated the media with good news, noting that Stafford was suffering from a hip contusion, and 'should be good to go' against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium.
“Yeah, had a little hip contusion," McVay said. "We'll be smart with him, but it should be good to go. He is a stud and obviously, we saw him gut through that yesterday, but definitely took a good shot there. We feel like he should be good to go.”
Given what happened last season, concerns surrounding Stafford's health are warranted, with the veteran missing eight games with multiple issues.
However, according to McVay, Stafford's evaluation revealed minimal damage, with the QB suffering from simple, albeit painful, bruising and swelling.
“Yeah, he got it checked out. Everything kind of checked out. He took a good shot to his hip and good deep bruise and some swelling and things like that that kind of really happened immediately. He was able to push through and I think it was good to be able to kind of get him treated and try to minimize that right afterward. He is nice and sore today but feel like he'll continue to make progress throughout the week.”
McVay also said that Stafford will likely miss practice for the rest of the week, as he gets treatment and works toward his Sunday start.
“I don't think so, but we'll see," McVay said about Stafford practicing. "I'll let you know on Wednesday.”
The more important issue, however, is whether or not this will be a lingering issue for Stafford going forward.
After all, Stafford dealt with nagging injuries during his limited action last season. And those injuries certainly played a role in his below-standard play.
And while McVay didn't have an outright answer for that question, he did note Stafford's above-average toughness.
“He is such a tough competitor," McVay said. "Obviously, you want him to be healthy, but something about him always plays with a pretty good edge when he is got something to work through too... He sure looked pretty good even with that hip deal. It is certainly something that you don't take for granted. I've seen him operate at a pretty high level when he's got something that he's working through.”
The Rams, and presumably Stafford, will take the field against the Eagles at 1:05 p.m. PT on Sunday in Los Angeles.