Jason Burgos
After a disappointing showing in Week 8, the Los Angeles Rams could be headed toward a major downward spiral due to a serious injury to star quarterback Matthew Stafford.
After they had a disastrous year trying to defend their title in 2022, the Rams made the bold decision to sell off some of their expensive stars and pay off much of their debt in 2023 instead of making a worthwhile effort to improve the roster. Yet, they have turned out to be one of the notable surprises so far this season.
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Since not much was expected of them, getting out to a 3-3 start — led by the impressive play of Matthew Stafford and rookie receiver Puka Nacua — was a pleasant surprise to many around the NFL. However, they have suffered back-to-back losses since, with Sunday being a low point as they were smashed by the Dallas Cowboys, 43-20.
Yet the embarrassing loss to the NFC East squad may not be the worst of it. In the third quarter of the game, Stafford injured the thumb on his throwing hand and missed the remainder of the game. Following the defeat, head coach Sean McVay was cagey about an update on his starting quarterback’s hand. However, a team insider offered some fresh news on the injury and it is quite worrying.
Matthew Stafford stats (2023): 2,070 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT, 82.0 rating
On Monday, The Athletic’s Rams reporter Jourdan Rodrigue claimed a stint on injured reserve is not out of the question for the 35-year-old signal caller.
Related: NFL insider reveals unexpected Matthew Stafford injury news that should worry Los Angeles Rams fans
“The Rams are evaluating a range of potential scenarios with QB Matthew Stafford and his thumb injury, per source, and he’ll have further testing plus assessment on how he’s gripping the ball through the week,” Rodrigue wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Chillier conditions in GB combined with a bye after are some details in consideration for the short term, but Rams also are not ruling out injured reserve at this point as they are still gathering information that helps discern a larger timeline for Stafford.”
The one-time Pro Bowler was limited to just 9 games in 2022 due to an ongoing elbow injury and a concussion late in the season. The new thumb injury also goes along with a hip issue he has been dealing with for several weeks.
