Stafford’s Health in Question as Back Injury Lingers
By now, Rams fans should be in full countdown mode. The 2025 NFL season is right there — one month away, the depth charts are tightening, pads are popping, and hope is officially back in fashion. In true Los Angeles Rams form, there's one giant, 37-year-old question mark looming over everything: Where is Matthew Stafford? Literally. He hasn’t practiced once this offseason.
Stafford, the team’s franchise quarterback and last member of the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 core, is nursing a back injury that’s now become the most-watched storyline in Thousand Oaks. Sean McVay, ever the optimist, offered the classic NFL coach soundbite over the weekend: “Week-to-week. I wish I could help you out more with that.” It was the kind of “don’t panic but maybe panic a little” line that hits like a brick for Rams fans who’ve lived through this before — cough 2022 elbow cough. The team was already managing Stafford’s workload like it was the Hope Diamond, but now they’ll be without him for the joint practices with the Cowboys on August 5th. His status for the August 13th practice against the Chargers? Also TBD. McVay won’t say the word “back” out loud like it’s Voldemort, but the tone is clear — this thing could linger.
Let’s rewind for context. Stafford was supposed to be gone this offseason. There were rumors of trade talks. Whispers about retirement. Then, boom — he signs a two-year, $84 million extension. Les Snead doubled down, Sean McVay doubled down, and suddenly the Rams were doubling down on the final chapters of Stafford’s Hall of Fame resume.
Honestly, why not? Stafford was good last year. He threw for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only eight picks — in 16 games — on a team that started half a dozen rookies and somehow snuck into the playoffs. He still has the arm, the IQ, and that old-school Brett Favre energy where you just know something wild is gonna happen. At 37, backs don’t lie. The Rams — who have Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett as Plan B and C — need to keep Stafford upright for one more ride. Garoppolo has the experience (64 career starts), but he’s not the needle-mover. Bennett? He’s fun, but still a mystery box.
This is Stafford’s team. This is Stafford’s moment. This is likely Stafford’s last real shot at a postseason run. Here’s the irony: The Rams have a good team. They’ve got young dudes ready to explode — Jared Verse, Byron Young, and a wide receiver room filled with Puka Nacua hype. They even added Davante Adams to the mix. The defense is deep, the coaching staff is innovative, and there’s enough cap creativity to make Mickey Mouse blush.
None of it matters if No. Nine isn’t under center. The Rams are saying all the right things — “progress,” “precaution,” “long view” — but this has shades of 2022 written all over it. Stafford was “fine” then, too, until he wasn’t, and the season unraveled fast. So now we wait. Week-to-week. Tweet-to-tweet. Back-watch in full effect. If Stafford can stay upright and healthy? The Rams are a real problem in the NFC. If not, they do have two first-round picks in 2026 and a scouting report on Arch Manning pinned to the fridge.
