Jimmy

Garoppolo

The Rams, per Rapoport, are going to take it slowly with Stafford, who is struggling with a chronic back injury that required an epidural earlier this summer and kept him sidelined for much of training camp. Stafford reportedly threw around 20 passes upon his return to practice on Monday. It remains to be seen whether Stafford, 37, will practice again this week. If Stafford is a no-go for early in the season, Jimmy Garoppolo will take over as LA’s starter — a less-than-ideal situation for Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.

Our national nightmare is over. After refusing on Saturday to say if Stafford worked out as planned, the Rams’ QB1 took to the field in full pads and jersey on Monday, looking ready for his first taste of training camp practice. Stafford has been dealing with a back injury for weeks and, at one point, had an epidural to help with the pain. Stafford has endured numerous injuries throughout his 16-year career, including multiple back injuries. Head coach Sean McVay said last week that part of Stafford’s absence last week was due to function and pain tolerance, which doesn’t seem great. The Rams are going to do what they can to have Stafford ready for the season, but we wouldn’t assume he’s a lock to start Week 1 until we see how he progresses in the coming weeks. If he’s unable to go at any point in the season, Jimmy Garoppolo would take the reins at QB1.

Similar to what he did last weekend, Stafford was scheduled to work out before Saturday’s preseason game to test the back injury that has sidelined him throughout training camp. The same spokesperson also said head coach Sean McVay would address the situation on Monday, leaving us to wonder what the next report in this saga could entail. Stafford was unable to practice last week despite plans for him to return to the field on Monday, and now the team is being cagey about his Saturday workout after publicizing it the previous week. It’s worth reminding folks that the Rams decided earlier this week that backup Jimmy Garoppolo would not play in the second preseason game, which may or may not prove meaningful in the coming days. This remains a situation to monitor.

The Ammortal Chamber awaits Stafford for another day, apparently. With every day that passes sans Stafford practicing, we get a little more concerned that he won’t be ready for the opener. Jimmy Garoppolo is Los Angeles’ backup quarterback. We’ll continue to monitor what Sean McVay called a “flexible and fluid” situation on Stafford’s back.

It’s an incredibly vague response from McVay, who indicated over the weekend that Stafford would return to the field after going through a successful workout on Saturday. Instead, Stafford was spotted in street clothes on Monday and was also seen walking into an Ammortal chamber that specializes as a “wellness device that aims to optimize human performance and promote holistic health through a combination of non-invasive technologies.” So there’s that. McVay said surgery has not been talked about as an option for Stafford, but said his quarterback “didn’t feel good enough” to be on the field on Monday. There’s no way to know at this time if Stafford will or will not be available for Week 1, but there’s certainly reason to be skeptical. Like the Rams, we will also remain “flexible and fluid” with all news involving Stafford, and will check back in with any updates as they come. In the event Stafford is unavailable for any part of the regular season, Jimmy Garoppolo would be the favorite to draw starts.

It was reported late last week that Stafford could practice on Monday if his workout before Saturday’s preseason game went well. Stafford reportedly threw 60-plus passes in the workout and looked good, paving the way for a return to the field on Monday. Stafford will have just under four weeks to ramp things up for Week 1 when the Rams play host to the Texans. While it sounds like he’s trending in the right direction, it will be worth monitoring reports out of camp to see if his back responds well to the recovery and epidural he received to help mitigate the issue. If for some reason Stafford can’t play in the season opener, Jimmy Garoppolo would be the favorite to open Week 1.

Rapoport said Stafford, who has been sidelined for weeks while dealing with the lingering back issue, has received an epidural for the discomfort of the injury. Stafford, according to Rapoport, “plans” to suit up for Week 1 against the Texans, who sport one of the NFL’s best pass rushes. Rams head coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that Stafford, 37, has “been able to kind of increase some things behind the scenes” and that the QB is making progress. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, meanwhile, insists Stafford’s absence from Rams camp is nothing more than a “maintenance issue.” If it’s something more than that, we could see Jimmy Garoppolo under center for LA come Week 1.

That’s ... a lot of money for Garoppolo in 2025. After ludicrous talk that the Rams could turn to Jimmy G as starter were Matthew Stafford to move on, sanity has prevailed with Stafford reworking his contract and Garoppolo returning as the backup. Jimmy G is only 33, but he looks much older in the pocket. A potential Stafford injury would be a grim situation, but maybe Garoppolo is more healed up from years of injuries than we would guess. He would undoubtedly be efficient in Sean McVay’s offense if he could remain on the field. He’s not a bad backup from that perspective. It’s just the durability woes.

It’s exactly the kind of leak you would expect from a team playing hardball with their starting quarterback. The Rams last week granted Stafford permission to speak with other teams and try to work out a trade this offseason. Stafford, 37, who struggled at times over the past two seasons in LA, has two years remaining on his deal with the Rams. He has been linked to the Giants in trade talks over the past couple weeks as the Rams hedge on bringing back Stafford for a sixth season in LA. While Garoppolo would be in the mix to start for the Rams if Stafford leaves, he would certainly see competition in training camp. Garoppolo had 333 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in his lone start of 2024, a Week 18 loss to Seattle.

Garoppolo looked good in his lone start of the season, with the Rams resting their starters ahead of the playoffs. Conducting the Sean McVay offense with short, on-time throws and all the requisite button pushing, Garoppolo averaged over eight yards per attempt, spreading the ball around and rarely making an errant throw. Garoppolo, 33, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and could land with any number of teams seeking a reliable backup QB.