As the Los Angeles Rams inch closer to Week 1, the spotlight is fixed not on whether Matthew Stafford will suit up, but on whether his body can hold up for the marathon of a full NFL season.
Stafford, 37, has returned to practice following the back injury he sustained during training camp. But while his presence on the field is encouraging, both his comments and the team’s careful handling of his workload suggest that the real storyline isn’t opening day — it’s durability.
Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford Injury Day-to-Day
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Asked how he manages the mornings with his back, Stafford was candid about the day-to-day reality:
“No but it is a day-to-day thing. Sometimes it feels better than others and i’m still able to go out there and do what I’m supposed to do, practice, rehab or whatever it is. We talk a lot, whether it be an injury, or as an offensive unit, or as a team, or just in life, about making progress. Progress a lot of times isn’t just a straight line. It’s not just like this [flat arm hand gesture]. It’s going to be, [Hand gesture up and down].
“I’ve got a couple good days in a row, this was a flat day or a down day and then knowing that I’m going to wake up tomorrow and I have a chance to feel good and go out there again. There were a lot of those days and a lot of that time during training camp and I imagine the rest of my life there will be a lot of those days in one way or another.
“That’s why I try to have a good perspective. It’s easier said than done a lot of times. I try to take that approach to it and it’s given me a little bit of peace of mind on certain times or certain things that are a little bit frustrating or don’t go the way I want them to go.”
Can Stafford Play All 17 Games For The Rams
It’s an admission that underscores what head coach Sean McVay and outside analysts have been hinting at: this isn’t a short-term question. Stafford can get through camp. He can be ready for Week 1. But can he withstand the grind of 17 games plus a postseason?
NBC’s Mike Florio put it bluntly: “We may see Garoppolo play at some point in the regular season, because this just doesn’t feel like it’s sustainable for 17 regular-season games.”
McVay has praised his quarterback’s progress in padded practices, but even he acknowledged that the tempo of camp is not the same as live action. “You can’t simulate the speed at which this game is played… What I do think is you don’t get good at football unless you play football. What we try to do is mimic and emulate game-like situations while minimizing the risk of injury at practice.”
That balance — preparing Stafford without pushing him over the edge — will define the Rams’ season. Their depth chart reflects that reality, with Jimmy Garoppolo positioned as a contingency plan.
The midseason stretch looms as a litmus test: road games against Philadelphia and Indianapolis, followed by a short-week matchup with San Francisco. As Rams insider Ryan Dyrud put it, “That’s a stretch. Will Stafford be fully ready after that? Based on this offseason, it’s hard to say.”
Stafford’s gritty play and late-season run last year proved why the Rams fought to keep him despite offseason trade whispers. His presence makes Los Angeles not just competitive, but compelling. ESPN’s Ben Solak captured the divide: with Stafford, the Rams are must-watch. With Garoppolo, they risk becoming a “grotesque curiosity.”
For now, Stafford is back at practice, stacking what McVay calls “good blocks.” But even Stafford himself admits progress isn’t linear. It dips, it rises, and it requires perspective.
That perspective may be what keeps him sane. But for the Rams, his durability will determine whether 2025 is another deep playoff run — or a season defined by what could have been.
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