Rams' Matthew Stafford Returns as Full Participant in Team Drills

Stafford returned to individual drills on Monday.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is participating in full team drills Tuesday after making his return to practice on Monday, via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. Stafford has been working through tightness in his hamstring and has not practiced in full team drills since leaving last Wednesday's joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys early.

Matthew Stafford participating in full team drills.

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) August 20, 2024

Stafford, 36, returned to practice in pads Monday, but primarily participated in individual drills and stretching as the Rams continued to take precautionary measures with their quarterback. Instead, Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett split reps during the 11-on-11 team drills.

“Could he have practiced today? Probably so,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday, via Klein. “And he felt good enough in the movement that he had. ... But those unscripted movements, where a guy beats a tackle or a guard and you have to just make a sudden little movement — if there was any chance that it could aggravate a tight hamstring, then we wanted to avoid that.”

Stafford is now participating in team drills again on Tuesday. This is the Rams' final practice in Los Angeles before the team flies to Houston on Wednesday. The Rams are taking part in joint practice against the Houston Texans on Thursday, before facing them for their final preseason game on Saturday.

Keeping Stafford healthy and ready to go for the Rams' Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions has remained McVay and the Rams' primary focus, especially as Stafford has dealt with injuries over the past couple of seasons. Stafford missed the second half of the 2022 season with a concussion and spinal cord contusion and missed a game with a sprained UCL in his thumb last season.

With Garoppolo suspended for the first two games of the season, the Rams' backup behind Stafford will be Bennett, who has not exactly inspired confidence throwing five interceptions through two preseason games.

Along with Stafford, the Rams also saw the return of offensive guard Jonah Jackson, who had previously been week-to-week with a shoulder injury. Like Stafford, Jackson was limited to participating in stretching and individual drills on Monday. McVay added Monday that the plan is for Jackson to partake in individual drills for the week

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