No one has ever questioned the toughness of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, and if they have, then they're not a person worth having a conversation with to begin with. Ever since Stafford gutted out a win with a separated shoulder during his rookie year with the Detroit Lions, he's been something of a made man in that regard, routinely playing through bumps and bruises, regularly brushing off the hardest hits and most painful smashes of his right hand. But after 15 NFL seasons, Stafford has every right to use the preseason to recuperate from any nagging injury.
Right now, the Rams quarterback is dealing with hamstring tightness, and while that doesn't sound like the most serious or debilitating injury in the world, a bad hammy can keep even the toughest sons-a-guns down. Matthew Stafford missed the second half of a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week, and predictably, he didn't see the field at all in LA's second preseason game of the year, a 13-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. This cleared the way for former Georgia Bulldogs championship winning quarterback Stetson Bennett to receive all of the preseason reps at QB for the second consecutive game.
On Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay addressed the media and shared that Matthew Stafford's injury is not one he's concerned will jeopardize his availability for the beginning of the regular season.
“I'm not concerned based on what I understand the tightness is, and erring on the safe side of caution for this week if that's what we end up having to do,” Sean McVay said, according to Stu Jackson of therams.com. “He's going to be ready to be ready to go and to prepare against Detroit. And if we miss a couple days this week, if that's the approach that we take on the safer side, he'll still have two and a half weeks of preparation for Detroit.”
Speaking of the “safer side,” it certainly doesn't help that the Rams offensive line has already been hit with a variety of injuries since training camp began. Left guard Jonah Jackson, left tackle Alaric Jackson, and right tackle Rob Havenstein are all likely done for the rest of the preseason.
Matthew Stafford gets second chance at Detroit homecoming in Rams season opener
The final game of the Los Angeles Rams' 2023 season came in the Wild Card Round, when Matthew Stafford made his first trip back to Detroit since being traded by the Lions to the Rams on March 18, 2021. Despite completing 25-of-36 passes for 367 yards and 2 touchdowns, Stafford and the Rams were knocked out of the postseason in a 24-23 defeat. Now, in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, Stafford and the Rams will return to the Motor City hell-bent on ensuring there's a different result this time around.
Not only should this season-opening Sunday Night Football game be one hell of a matchup on the field, but also it's intriguing off the field on a human level as well. Stafford was booed in his return to Detroit this past January, which came as a surprise given how highly regarded he had been during his time in Detroit, and how little acrimony there had been between the two sides when the Lions decided to trade him back in 2021.
Maybe a re-return to Detroit will give Lions fans the opportunity to give Matthew Stafford the standing ovation he deserves. For Stafford and the Rams, it's about a shot at redemption.
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