When the Los Angeles Rams announced quarterback Matthew Stafford would be on a pitch count during training camp, it only raised minor concerns for a team coming off a Super Bowl. It now appears Stafford’s injury is more concerning than first believed.
Reports emerged on Thursday that Stafford is experiencing ‘bad tendinitis’ in his right elbow. While no specific details on the exact nature of the injury would be provided, head coach Sean McVay made it clear that the Super Bowl-winning quarterback likely wouldn’t participate in team drills for at least a week.
Related: Matthew Stafford’s elbow tendinitis should frighten Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles typically doesn’t play its starters for the entire NFL preseason schedule, so the Rams’ leader being unavailable for games in August won’t be out of the ordinary. However, recent comments from McVay do suggest there is a real level of uncertainty with this injury.
“It’s a little bit abnormal for a quarterback, some of this stuff is things that MLB pitchers deal with, so it is something that we’re kind of learning about on the fly and his feedback. We’re really trying to just figure out, ‘OK, how do we get the best plan in place to try to minimize some of the things that he was having to push through,’ while also giving him the confidence that, ‘Hey, I can really just, let it go, not have to worry about it, play to the best of my ability.’
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay on Matthew Stafford’s elbow injury (H/T Pro Football Talk)
This came after Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Pro Bowl quarterback received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections this offseason. After receiving the procedure, Stafford didn’t throw during offseason workouts and the problem that required the PRP injections is still causing issues.
- Matthew Stafford stats (2022): 12-5 record, 4,886 passing yards, 41-17 TD-INT, 102.9 QB rating
There is an injury history with Stafford. He missed five games in 2010 with an A/C joint separation, broke bones in his back during the 2019 season and has suffered multiple thumb and ankle injuries.
As of now, Los Angeles doesn’t anticipate this problem sidelining Stafford during the regular season. However, McVay also admits that he was unfamiliar with this specific injury until now and the team is learning as it goes through the process.
If Stafford misses time in 2022, the Rams will have to start backup quarterback John Wolford. In a tight NFC West with a tough schedule, any prolonged absence for Stafford could deliver a catastrophic blow to the Rams’ playoff hopes.