Rams' Matthew Stafford Did Not Finish Practice Due to New Injury

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford left practice early due to a new injury.

Aug 1, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) and wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) smile during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

In an already tumultuous joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford left practice early due to a new injury.

According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, Stafford played the first half of practice, including multiple 11-on-11 series. However, he soon left practice early as a precaution after experiencing hamstring tightness.

The rest of the practice was led by backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. Garoppolo ran the first team while Bennett ran the second.

While this doesn't seem like too big of a deal, it remains uncertain if the Rams could be successful with Stafford at the helm. In his first year with Los Angeles, Stafford led the team to the Super Bowl, defeating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unfortunately, Stafford and the Rams didn't repeat this success in 2022. Instead, Stafford left the season early due to a spinal cord contusion. He was replaced by Bryce Perkins and Baker Mayfield. Los Angeles finished the season with a 5-12 record. With Stafford, the team was 3-6.

However, this all turned around when Stafford returned for the 2023 season and the Rams returned to the playoffs. While they were eliminated in the Wild Card round by the Detroit Lions, the season proved that Los Angeles was better with Stafford at the helm.

Hopefully, this is just a minor inconvenience and not something that will affect Stafford in the long run. That being said, if Stafford does get injured, the Rams are in a better backup QB situation than they were in 2022.

Right now, it appears that Garoppolo is the first backup, and he has a decently impressive pedigree behind him. He operated as a backup for Tom Brady in two of his Super Bowl wins and eventually led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, although they lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

However, Jimmy G will be missing the first two games of the 2024 season due to violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Instead, Bennett will take his place.

While Bennett has only been in the NFL since 2023, he has shown that he can work under pressure. While he threw four interceptions in the Rams' preseason game against the Cowboys, he also led the team to a 13-12 victory with a last-minute touchdown, the only one scored in the game.

Stafford's hamstring tightness will likely not be a long-time problem. But if things were to go wrong, the Rams seem ready to figure out a solution.

More Rams: Matthew Stafford in Top 5 of Most QB Stats For 2024