The Los Angeles Rams kick off training camp this Thursday at Loyola Marymount University, but their quarterback will not be ready to go. Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Tuesday that Matthew Stafford is dealing with a sore back, and will begin training camp working off to the side as a limited participant.
“Matthew’s feeling good. He had a little bit of soreness in his back that kind of crept up. He’s been throwing, feeling good, it’s not anything that’s necessarily new, it’s something he’s dealt with before,” McVay said.
“Going into Year 17 we were going to take a modified approach with him, kind of similar to what we did in the offseason program, so we’ll allow him to just work kind of off to the side on his own, get himself feeling as good as possible, and then he’ll be ready for block 2, which will really represent once we finish the five-day acclimation period. He feels good about that, I feel good about that, and ultimately it’s about having him feel as good as possible mentally, physically, emotionally, going into Year 17.”
As McVay indicates, Stafford’s back is not expected to be a major issue, but it also opens the door for an underrated position battle to take center stage early on. Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett figure to be the top quarterbacks in team drills while Stafford rests, with some Dresser Winn thrown in as well.
Stafford went 10-6 as the Rams’ starter last season while throwing for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Los Angeles came just 22 yards away from defeating the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs, and potentially hosting the NFC Championship game. Stafford ended the season on a tear, throwing 15 touchdowns compared to one interception in his final nine games, including playoffs. His 59,809 passing yards rank No. 10 in NFL history, as do his 377 passing touchdowns. Stafford also has the fifth-most game-winning drives in NFL history with 49.
It’s Super Bowl or bust for the Rams in 2025, which is why Los Angeles is going to be cautious with its 37-year-old quarterback.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
July 22, 2025 | 3:36 pm
