Matthew Stafford will throw passes on Saturday.
However not at SoFi Stadium, the place the Rams will play the Dallas Cowboys in a preseason recreation.
Coach Sean McVay stated Thursday that the again challenge that has sidelined Stafford because the begin of coaching camp was associated to an aggravated disc, and that Stafford just lately obtained an epidural from backbone specialist Dr. Robert Watkins.
Stafford will undergo a exercise on the Rams’ Woodland Hill facility Saturday morning.
If the Rams have been enjoying a regular-season recreation — they open on Sept. 7 towards the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium — Stafford would play, McVay stated.
“As of proper now, all the pieces is on monitor to have the ability to get him a great month of labor earlier than we find yourself opening up towards the Texans,” McVay stated.
Stafford is just not the one key participant coping with an harm.
About an hour into Thursday’s follow, edge rusher Jared Verse left the sphere with the help of two trainers. Verse, final season’s NFL defensive rookie of the 12 months, “bumped knees” with defensive lineman Braden Fiske, McVay stated.
“We’ll hope that he finally ends up being OK,” McVay stated.
Rams linebacker Jared Verse interacts with teammates throughout coaching camp at Loyola Marymount on July 29.
(Eric Thayer / Related Press)
Stafford’s situation, nonetheless, stays crucial for a group considered a Tremendous Bowl contender.
Final spring, the Rams and Stafford agreed to phrases on an adjusted contract that provides the quarterback a $47.5-million salary-cap quantity this season, based on Overthecap.com.
Jimmy Garoppolo has been taking first-team snaps instead of Stafford. Garoppolo and different starters and potential influence gamers won’t play in preseason video games, so Stetson Bennett will begin at quarterback towards the Cowboys.
Stafford’s again challenge got here to gentle when the Rams reported to coaching camp at Loyola Marymount on July 22. McVay stated that day that Stafford wouldn’t follow the primary week however would take part in group drills thereafter.
However after the primary week, McVay stated he spoke too quickly: Stafford would proceed to work with trainers and medical personnel away from the primary follow fields and he can be evaluated per week at a time.
“I don’t have any purpose to be involved,” McVay stated on the time.
Stafford, who’s getting into his seventeenth season, has been observing practices and providing different quarterbacks suggestions, together with throughout Tuesday’s joint follow with the Cowboys in Oxnard.
After Saturday’s exercise, Stafford is scheduled to follow subsequent week, McVay stated, although he won’t take part in a joint follow with the Chargers on Wednesday.
“And then you definately’ll simply proceed to see his workload improve so long as he’s feeling good,” McVay stated.
Stafford’s situation didn’t outcome from a selected offseason incident, based on McVay.
Stafford participated in what amounted to 2 jog-throughs in Maui throughout a visit that concluded the Rams’ offseason program. After returning, Stafford had been throwing and was “feeling good” however skilled “a little bit little bit of soreness” that precipitated an examination and the choice to have an epidural, McVay stated.
“You’ll be able to’t be too good with most of these issues,” McVay stated, including that the plan the Rams have adopted was made “to err on the aspect of warning.”
Stafford, the highest choose within the 2009 NFL draft, performed 12 seasons for the Detroit Lions earlier than the Rams traded for him in 2021 and received Tremendous Bowl LVI. McVay has stated that Stafford’s situation was not associated to the season-ending spinal bruise Stafford suffered in 2022, which sidelined him for the ultimate seven video games.
Requested Thursday if Stafford’s disc challenge resulted from a earlier harm, McVay stated he didn’t know.
“I do know that he’s had some comparable issues when it comes to the disc being aggravated earlier than, going again to Detroit, however I wouldn’t be geared up to reply that,” McVay stated.
Regardless, Stafford’s first huge step towards enjoying within the opener comes Saturday.
“Easing him again in and actually with the ability to construct him again up is the good factor,” McVay stated.
And many others.
Defensive linemen Kobie Turner (again) and Poona Ford (groin), security Kam Curl (ankle), cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (hamstring), linebacker Nate Landman (calf), offensive lineman Kevin Dotson (chest bruise), tight finish Terrance Ferguson (groin) didn’t follow Thursday.
