For the vast majority of the summer, fans of the Los Angeles Rams have been waiting with bated breath to learn some good news about quarterback Matthew Stafford.

A consistent stalwart of LA's injury report, Sean McVay and company have noted that Stafford is close to returning from a back injury, but at each step along the way, the goalpost has been moved, with fans now wondering if the Rams will have their top arm available in time for Week 1.

Discussing what he knows about Stafford's situation on ESPN's NFL Live, NFL Insider Adam Schefter revealed that he isn't sure when Rams fans will be able to exhale, as this situation may be a bit more “problematic” than LA is letting on.

“Matthew Stafford is in a situation where, here's the issue, they thought he'd be back at practice Monday. He wasn't. They thought he'd be back at practice maybe today. He's not. At some point, there has to be some level of concern that builds up, but it hasn't yet within the organization. They remain quietly and privately confident that he's going to be ready for the regular season opener against the Houston Texans,” Schefter revealed.

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“But now, we are just over three weeks away. He's 37 years old. It's a back, backs linger. I think it's problematic, but again, I'm just telling you, they have not been concerned, and they have maintained all along that if there were a game this week, Matthew Stafford would be out there and he would be playing. Can I jump in real quick and just ask a question? Is it more of a function thing or a pain tolerance thing? Maybe a little bit of both. I don't know.”

Now obviously, if Stafford's back does prove problematic, it will throw the entire season up in the air, as even with “starting caliber quarterback” Jimmy Garoppolo on the bench, the Rams' ceiling will largely be defined by how well No. 9 can sling the ball and manage close games in a tough NFC West Conference. If Stafford is diminished all season long, plays scared, or is in-and-out of the lineup, the Rams' ceiling will be just as volatile.

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