Last week it was reported that 36-year-old Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford left practice with tightness in his hamstring. Head coach, Sean McVay initially described the injury as a “little something.” When asked about the timeline for his return, McVay was “not sure” if the quarterback would resume practicing this week.
“He can throw and do some of those things,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “As far as just some of the movement, if he’s feeling good, we haven’t decided that yet.”
“The arrow is pointing up and he’s feeling good as it relates to the hamstring tightness last week.”
Matthew Stafford Miss Practice Due To Hamstring Injury
The ever-abundantly cautious and oft-optimistic McVay is not concerned about Stafford’s preparedness for the Week 1 playoff rematch against the Detroit Lions;
“If we miss a couple of days this week; if that’s the approach we take on the safer side, he’ll still have 2½ weeks of preparation for Detroit,” McVay said.
Stafford’s health and readiness are the top priority heading into the first two weeks, as Jimmy Garoppolo is the team’s primary backup QB and is suspended for those games. If Stafford can’t play, Stetson Bennett would be the presumptive starter as of today, but McVay stopped short of labeling Bennett the backup, saying the team was still in “evaluation mode.”
While McVay did express that he was pleased with Bennett’s progress, his performance in the first two preseason games has left plenty to be desired. He’s completed just 59 percent of his passes for 437 yards, with just two touchdowns, five interceptions, and a fumble. His 6.3 yards per catch is 50th among preseason quarterbacks.
Stafford was dressed and in attendance for the Rams practice on Monday morning, but did not participate in any football action.
