Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford practiced on Monday, setting a mark of a week straight without any known setbacks from a back injury that cost him practically all of training camp. Stafford was taking 11 on 11 reps on Monday according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop and without any setbacks will start against the Houston Texans in Week 1, which is less than two weeks away.
The anxiety from fans thinking about Stafford’s back injury probably won’t go away before then, however. The message from the team and the media all along is that nobody really knows how Stafford’s back will react to live action and taking hits. Stafford could be ready for Week 1, but is his back ready for Week 1 hits from a DeMeco Ryans defense?
The news cycle around Stafford’s injury has been exhausting, both for the fans and the media. Certainly also for Sean McVay and Stafford. Unfortunately that is the cost of doing business with a football player into his mid and late-30s. Stafford’s body is what pays the bill and bodies tend to wear down after 20+ years of football in high school, college, and the NFL.
The good news is that Stafford’s body hasn’t shut down and his arm seems as good as it can be at 37. The Rams are counting on it.
