Matthew Stafford starts camp on the sidelines

Sean McVay confirms Matthew Stafford will start training camp on a pitch count

The Los Angeles Rams start training camp this week, and while the roster is mostly healthy, the team may need to wait a few days to see their rebuilt offense at full strength as they announced Tuesday that Matthew Stafford will be limited for the first five days of practice with back soreness.

The move, which seems to be more about prevention care and rest rather than any kind of serious injury, was confirmed by head coach Sean McVay originally and reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Whether it is serious or not, Stafford popping up with any kind of ailment to start camp is the last thing fans want to see. The Rams have high hopes for a deep playoff run this year, being considered a Super Bowl candidate by the national media regularly, but those plans all hinges on their starting quarterback being available for a full slate of games.

Veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league and he comes with a ton of playing experience including a Super Bowl appearance, but even with Garoppolo playing some good football in the past, he has mostly been a backup for the last three years or so and is an obvious downgrade from Stafford.

Garoppolo should pick up some extra reps under center to start camp along with third year QB Stetson Bennett, who is going into a make-or-break year season himself. It remains to be seen if Los Angeles will end up keeping three quarterbacks again, so Bennett may need to have a huge preseason to prove he’s worth a roster spot after two underwhelming years to start his pro career. LA also recently signed expected camp arm QB Dresser Wynn – a move that now makes even more sense with Stafford’s limitations.

This is not the first time Stafford has dealt with a back injury, and it’s another reason why the team may be acting a bit more cautious with him. In 2022, Stafford missed the back half of the season with a deep spinal cord bruise. He also experienced a lower lumbar sprain and back soreness after the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers last year.

There is probably no long term worry for Stafford’s availability going forward, but injuries in camp derailed the Rams to a 1-4 start in 2024 before they were able to get healthy and turn the season around. The team would probably like to avoid a slow start again, and it could be a big reason for McVay being a bit more conservative when it comes to the health of his starting quarterback.