L.A. Rams QB Matthew Stafford enters concussion protocol, casting doubt about Week 10 availability
As the Los Angeles Rams try to right their season in a divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10, they may be without their star quarterback.
Coach Sean McVay told reporters Wednesday that Stafford was been placed in the concussion protocol Tuesday after he developed symptoms following Sunday's 16-13 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Stafford had started and finished the entire game. McVay said he believed the issue resulted from action during the game.
"We'll take it a day at a time with him," McVay said Wednesday. "That was what our medical experts determined, based on some of the things they gathered, was the right and smart course of action."
McVay did not rule Stafford out of Sunday's pivotal NFC West game against the 3-6 Cardinals, whose own quarterback - Kyle Murray - was projected as a non-participant for Wednesday's practice as he deals with a hamstring issue, according to ESPN.
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In the loss against the Buccaneers, Stafford completed 13-of-27 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown. Stafford, however, was under constant pressure and was sacked four times in that game.
"What ended up happening was (vice president of sports medicine and performance) Reggie (Scott) and his crew doing their regular clean up after the game," McVay said. "You ask the questions and do the right follow-ups and they determined that they felt like that was the best thing for him. That's kind of where we're at with it.
"It's more importantly about the person than the player in these types of things as we know. Nobody is more of a competitor and wanting to be out there with his teammates than Matthew."
If Stafford is unable to play, the Rams (3-5) will start backup John Wolford, who has started two games for L.A. (including the playoffs) in his two-plus seasons with the team.
"I’m confident in him," McVay said. "I know Matthew is going to do everything in his power to try and be ready. We’ll just take it a day at a time. But John’s a guy that when he’s been in these situations, he’s stepped in and done a really good job. It wasn’t too long ago that he had to come in, in a game that we had to have to be able to get into the playoffs, and he performed incredibly well."
In the regular-season finale of 2020, Wolford started in place of then-Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who had sustained a hand injury. The Rams defeated the Cardinals, 18-7, and Wolford completed 22-of-38 passes for 231 yards with one interception. Wolford has not thrown a single regular- or post-season touchdown pass in his career.
Stafford has been one of the more dependable quarterbacks in the NFL, not missing a single game since the second half of the 2019 season, when he was the quarterback of the Detroit Lions.
This season, Stafford has completed 68.4% of his passes for 1,928 yards with eight touchdowns versus eight interceptions. The Rams rank 28th in the NFL with 28 sacks allowed.
The Rams are currently in third place in the NFC West, a half-game ahead of the Cardinals.