Rams Injury Report: Sean McVay Offers Update on Matthew Stafford Injury

Stafford left Wednesday's practice early.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford exited practice early on Wednesday during the Rams' joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, California. Stafford was experiencing tightness in his hamstring and was pulled in the middle of practice out of precaution.

Rams head coach Sean McVay provided an update on Stafford Thursday, saying that he expects Stafford to practice next week, per The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue.

Sean McVay says he expects that Matthew Stafford will practice next week. Tight hamstring.

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) August 15, 2024

With Stafford out of Thursday's practice, Jimmy Garoppolo began the walk through with the starting group. Garoppolo, along with quarterback Stetson Bennett, handled reps on Wednesday against the Cowboys following Stafford's departure.

Stafford is coming off a relatively healthy season with the Rams in which he was able to play 15 games for the team. The 36-year-old did miss one and a half games with a UCL sprain in his thumb, but returned to help the Rams win seven of their last eight regular season games and make the playoffs. Stafford completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2023 before the Rams went on to lose to the Detroit Lions in the wildcard playoffs.

Stafford has missed more significant time due to injury in two of his last five NFL seasons. Back with the Detroit Lions in 2019, Stafford missed eight games with back fractures. In 2022, he missed half of the season as well with a concussion and spinal cord contusion.

Keeping Stafford healthy is of course a primary goal for the Rams this season, especially to remain as playoff and even Super Bowl contenders. It will also be especially important for Stafford to be good to go for the first two games of the season when primary backup quarterback Garoppolo will be suspended after violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

With Garoppolo out for those games, the Rams will have to rely on Bennett as their backup quarterback. Bennett, who is entering his first full NFL season after he was away from the team last year, threw four interceptions in his recent preseason appearance last Sunday. He has yet to show the team can count on him as a solid backup option.

The good news is Stafford's hamstring is simply tight and the Rams are smartly taking precaution. Stafford has been one of the toughest quarterbacks throughout his career and played through multiple injuries, but the team naturally wants to keep him as close to 100 percent as they can.

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