Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford sat out Wednesday’s practice as he continues to deal with an elbow problem that has limited his offseason.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday Inside Training Camp Live that Stafford is dealing with what is being described as “bad tendinitis.”
“My understanding, this elbow problem, which actually came up in the spring, is described to me as bad tendinitis,” Rapoport said. “It’s a tendon problem in his pitching elbow. [He] had a little procedure — not surgery, but a procedure — more of a PRP-type deal in the offseason to try to manage it. It didn’t get to a place where he really needed it. I think long term, everybody in LA thinks this is going to be good. I don’t feel any stress about it, but it’s a quarterback. It’s a throwing arm. Obviously, something we need to monitor in the future.”
Stafford did not throw during the Rams’ spring practice and had limited reps earlier this week.
Coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Stafford did not suffer a setback and the rest period was part of the team’s “plan.”
“No, it’s consistent with what’s going on,” McVay said, via the team transcript. “It’s more, when you really look at the totality of it, you want to try to make it operate with as little pain as possible. I don’t know if you’re ever really pain free, but the goal would be for September 8th and you’d really be looking at 17 games, then hopefully a few games after that if we get this opportunity.
“That’s kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don’t know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn’t for the experience that he’s accumulated and knowing that how intentional he is. It’s about keeping up to speed with his mental and physical work that he can do in the absence of certain things in team environments.”
Stafford is not expected to work out in team workouts the rest of this week or next, according to McVay. Backup John Wolford will handle the starting reps.
It’s always a concern whenever a quarterback deals with arm issues. But Stafford has struggled with soreness in the past, so it’s unclear at this stage how much concern he should have with the signal caller.
The team believes the plan to ease the QB through camp will give him the best chance to be ready for the regular season.
“I’m optimistic that it’s going to give us the best opportunity to get him feeling as good as possible,” McVay said. “Would you say, ‘Hey, you wish he was out of trouble and out here playing and getting all these reps?’ Of course, but this is what we think is best.
“This is one of those deals where you kind of take your own advice where, ‘Hey, let’s be here in the moment, take it one day at a time,’ and I thought we got better as a team today and we ‘I’m getting some encouraging things. I think you have to be careful about saying, “Okay, it’s only been a few days,” but I think for those of us who are able to really give it a week, two weeks, it’s where you give is enough time to really seen… ‘Okay, is this new plan that we’ve implemented to get the results they were looking for.’ I think everyone feels good about that and that’s the plan we’re going to go with for the next two weeks.”
