Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury to his right thumb in the Rams' 43-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.

With Stafford out of commission, Brett Rypien took over starting quarterback duties for the Rams in Week 9. Los Angeles mustered only four first downs in the second half of their 20-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The team released Rypien, who recently signed with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams may be getting Stafford back sooner than later, however. Head coach Sean McVay said that Stafford was a full participant in practice, according to Stu Jackson of Rams NFL.

The Rams have had a subpar season so far, with a 3-6 record. Injuries and a lack of consistency have plagued the team, leading to a three-game losing streak and potentially falling out of playoff contention. The team's struggles have been clear in their run game. Despite these challenges, it is still too early to project the team's final record for the season.

Stafford's absence has affected the Rams wide receivers in particular. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will be eager to see a healthy Stafford back under center for Los Angeles. We witnessed this in Week 9 when Nacua caught three of seven targets for 32 yards during the Rams' 20-3 loss to the Packers. Nacua has struggled to surpass 45 yards in three of his last four games after a massive start to the season.

Should Stafford return, it appears that the Rams' Week 10 bye week came at the perfect time to get healthy.