Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is heading into what could be the final season of his career with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over his head.
The veteran quarterback is nursing a back injury that led head coach Sean McVay to list him as week-to-week, and the team injected more uncertainty into his future with an update this weekend. Stafford is now seeing a specialist for his back ailment and is set to miss a critical practice period ahead of the start of the season.
Matthew Stafford’s Status Up in the Air
Asked by reporters this weekend about whether Stafford has made any progress toward a return, McVay could not give any specific date when the 37-year-old could get back on the field.
“Week-to-week,” McVay said, via Pro Football Talk. “I wish I could help you out more with that.”
When pressed about whether Stafford could return for this week’s joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys or next week’s ones with the Los Angeles Chargers, McVay said it would definitely not be this week. The Rams coach added that Stafford was seeing a back specialist.
“The Cowboys, no,” McVay said. “The Cowboys, I would say that’s less than likely. With the Chargers, and I know I’m probably irritating you guys, but it truly is a week-to-week thing and what I don’t want to do is set a timeline. I know he’s making good progress, saw Dr. Watkins again today. Everything is in good shape. But to answer your question, the Cowboys is a no and then we’ll see about the Chargers.”
With Stafford out, the Rams have been giving first-team reps to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo with Stetson Bennett working out with the second team. The week-to-week status could put Stafford in danger of missing the season opener, which is now less than a month away.
Matthew Stafford’s Career Nearing an End
Stafford had an immediate impact after the blockbuster trade that sent him from Detroit to Los Angeles, leading the Rams to a Super Bowl win in 2021. He continued to perform well while leading the team through a rapid rebuild and last year completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Stafford led the Rams to a 10-6 record and a playoff win. Though there were rumors that the Rams were looking to move on, they ultimately signed Stafford to a two-year contract extension.
McVay said at the time that the team would be taking the 37-year-old one season at a time, leaving the door open for him to retire after the coming season.
“We’re taking it a year at a time,” McVay said, via The Athletic. “… I think he could play for a few more years if that’s what he wanted. We’ve always had great dialogue and I think it’s really kind of been a year-to-year thing. … As long as he wants to play, I know we’re feeling really good about that.”
McVay said the team would eventually start making succession plans for life after Stafford.
“Oh, he’s been great,” he said. “I don’t think there’s ever been, like, a threat. If he wants to continue to play (and I think he’s playing at such a high level), it’s not necessarily contingency plans. It’s just operating under the assumption where you’re saying, ‘Hey, however long you want to play and the way that you’ve been playing, this is outstanding for us. But at some point when you decide that you’re ready to be able to transition into a new phase of your life, I’m hopeful to still be here and we’re hopeful to be here.’ So what does that look like, without him leading the way?”
