The Los Angeles Rams will hold quarterback Matthew Stafford out of practice next week because of back soreness, head coach Sean McVay said on Saturday.
McVay said he had “probably spoke a little bit too soon” last Tuesday when he anticipated Stafford will be practicing but maintained that there was no setback and the 37-year-old QB should be ready for the season opener on Sept. 7 at home against the Houston Texans.
“He’s doing really well. We’ve got a good plan in place,” McVay said after Saturday’s practice. “We are going to still take some more time with him, though. Nothing that’s changed in terms of a setback. I probably spoke a little bit too soon, but the ultimate goal is Houston and being mindful of that. So we’ll take it a week at a time with him. So I did want to be able to let you guys know about that.”
The coach said that after talking with the team’s medical staff, it was “the smart thing to do.”
“I don’t have any reason to be concerned based on the information that’s been given,” McVay said. “I don’t think we can be smart enough with somebody like Matthew, and I think it’s best for him, best for our football team and that’s kind of the plan that we’ll have moving forward.”
Stafford has been in attendance for the first week of training camp but mostly away from the field and working with the training staff.
He completed 340 of 517 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in starting 16 regular-season games in 2024. He also was 45 of 71 for 533 yards, four TDs and no interceptions in two playoff games last season.
For his career, Stafford has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 59,809 yards, 377 TDs and 188 picks in 222 regular-season games (all starts) with the Detroit Lions (2009-2020) and Rams (2021-present).
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023, and won the Super Bowl with the Rams in the 2021 season. The Lions selected him with the first overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Georgia.
McVay also said on Saturday that linebacker Chris Paul Jr. was held out of practice because of a calf injury, and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was also sidelined by a calf injury and his status is “day-to-day.”
