No one has ever questioned the toughness of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, and if they have, he’s not a person you want to have a conversation with anyway. Ever since Stafford fought through a shoulder injury to win in his rookie year with the Detroit Lions, he’s been something of a made man in that regard, regularly playing through bumps and bruises and regularly taking the hardest hits and most painful jolts to his right hand. But after 15 NFL seasons, Stafford has every right to use the preseason to recover from any stubborn injury.
Currently, the Rams’ quarterback is dealing with a hamstring strain, and while that doesn’t sound like the worst or most serious injury in the world, a severe hamstring strain can sideline even the toughest of guys. Matthew Stafford missed the second half of a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week and, as expected, didn’t play at all in LA’s second preseason game of the year, a 13-9 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. That cleared the way for former Georgia Bulldogs championship quarterback Stetson Bennett to start all preseason games at quarterback for the second straight year.
On Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay addressed the media and said he does not fear that Matthew Stafford’s injury will jeopardize his availability for the start of the regular season.
“I’m not worried knowing how close it is, and if I have to be, I’ll play it safe this week,” Sean McVay said, according to Stu Jackson of therams.com. “He’ll be ready to go and get ready for the Detroit game. And if we miss a couple of days this week, if we play it safe, he’ll still have two and a half weeks to get ready for Detroit.”
Speaking of “safe side”: It certainly doesn’t help that the Rams’ offensive line has already been plagued by a number of injuries since the start of training camp. Left guard Jonah Jackson, left tackle Alaric Jackson and right tackle Rob Havenstein are likely out for the rest of the preseason.
Matthew Stafford gets a second chance at the Rams’ season opener as he returns home to Detroit
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The final game of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2023 season came in the Wild Card Round, as Matthew Stafford returned to Detroit for the first time since being traded from the Lions to the Rams on March 18, 2021. Despite Stafford completing 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards and 2 touchdowns, Stafford and the Rams were eliminated from the postseason with a 24-23 loss. Now, in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, Stafford and the Rams return to the Motor City hellbent on a different outcome this time around.
This season-opening game on Sunday night should not only be a hell of a matchup on the field, but should also be exciting off the field on a human level. Stafford was booed upon his return to Detroit last January, which was surprising considering how highly he was valued during his time in Detroit and how little bitterness there was between the two sides when the Lions decided to trade him back in 2021.
Perhaps a return to Detroit will provide Lions fans with the opportunity to give Matthew Stafford the standing ovation he deserves. For Stafford and the Rams, it’s a chance at redemption.
