Is Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford’s throwing arm OK?
Having played through pain during the regular season, Stafford’s arm issue won’t come as a surprise, but it will certainly cause concern.
Though there is still time and more importantly, it’s nothing critical, the fact remains that the the Rams will be keeping a close eye on their signal callers.
Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford has arm issues
As they navigate the offseason, the defending Super Bowl champions Los Angele Rams have now got a bit of a headache, where their quarterback is concerned. Indeed, the Rams’ Matthew Stafford had been coping with ‘elbow pain’ during the past season and although their campaign ended with a title, it appears that things have got no better. To that end, the Rams has subsequently decided to not only reevaluate Stafford’s offseason program, but they have actually gone to the length of reducing his workouts. This of course, is with a mind to both reducing the risk of discomfort for Stafford, while hopefully reducing the time he will take for recovery.
Where is Matthew Stafford at right now?
As things stand, Stafford did not throw the ball during spring workouts due to the injury. On the other hand, it’s understood that he has in fact been using the arm during training camp. In keeping with that, Rams head coach Sean McVay discussed the team’s decision to alter Stafford’s workout plan:
“We’d lessened Matthew’s workload today. Really when we look at it, we’ve got five weeks until September 8. He’s still feeling a little bit of pain, he could push through it. ...He’s been throwing and competing in team settings,” McVay said. “We felt like the smart thing was let’s really just take it a week at a time. He ended up getting about 40 to 50 throws in individual. We didn’t take part in the team activities and that’s really more a result of he’s got so much experience.” To date, it’s understood that Stafford’s elbow treatment has included an anti-inflammatory shot and rest.
What’s the Rams’ stance on Matthew Stafford?
While Stafford is not necessarily a ‘veteran,’ at the age of 34, he’s by no means a rookie. The Rams - rightly so - have chosen to focus on preparing Stafford for the coming season, rather than short term gains. The defending NFL champions will face the Buffalo Bills on September 8th in their season opener and you can bet your bottom dollar that they intend to be prepared. “The most important thing is for him feeling good and healthy on September 8. We could certainly push and he could really grind through this, but that’s not the goal with somebody like him. It’s not something that we’re concerned about,” McVay said.
In Matthew Stafford the Rams trust
With a Super Bowl trophy still glistening, the Rams have no reason to lose faith right here and now in their QB. That of course, says nothing of what Stafford displayed across the season, as the Rams trudged all the way to the big game. Considering all of that, it makes sense that the franchise is opting for the cautious approach rather than forcing an issue.
“We just want to be really smart with somebody that is as important as our quarterback is and as experienced as he is to be able to put together a plan that we feel like is in his best interest and in our team’s best interest,” McVay said. “So that’s kind of where we’re at with that, but thought it was a great day for us.” It should be said, that Stafford has already had a fair share of experience playing with injuries. To that end there is no need for alarm, yet it goes without saying that the Rams will be keeping a close eye on the QB as they prepare for the new campaign.