They say a quarterback’s prime is a narrow window—somewhere between 26 and 30, peaking around 29. Archie Manning, Troy Aikman, plenty of legends hit their highest notes in that stretch. After that? Most QBs slide gently downhill, not crashing, but slowly losing their zip. Now the Rams faithful are biting their nails because Matthew Stafford, at 37, should be on that slide. But instead, he’s more of an outlier in the TV show of aging, rewriting the script. He’s still throwing bullets when others his age are fading.
After that storybook Super Bowl run, Stafford did hit a rough patch. But let’s not kid ourselves—it wasn’t Father Time tightening his grip. A concussion knocked him off rhythm, and the following season became a grind. Then came the bounce-back: nearly 4K yards in 2023 and over 3,500 yards in 2024, guiding the Rams to the playoffs and reminding everyone what he can still do when healthy.
Which makes one thing clear: his battle isn’t with age, it’s with the injury bug. And now, with 2025 bringing whispers of another setback, the question hangs heavy: can that arm keep rewriting the rules? Unfortunately, that optimism is quietly fading. Throughout the training camp, the 37-year-old quarterback has been dealing with a back injury that kept him sidelined. Fast forward to now, and we’ve got the latest injury update on the QB.
Injury analyst Deepak Chona shared a few injury updates on his X handle. Leading the chorus was Matthew Stafford. “Matthew Stafford – Likely disc herniation. Susceptible to re-aggravation with rotation (essential to throwing),” he wrote. “Tested last wk, didn’t respond well. Planning re-test this wk. Often played w/injury before. Lean toward playing Wk1. But HIGH risk.” Translation? We’ll understand it bit by bit.
#NFL Injury Updates #Rams Matthew Stafford – Likely disc herniation. Susceptible to re-aggravation with rotation (essential to throwing)
Tested last wk, didn’t respond well.
Planning re-test this wk
Often played w/injury before. Lean toward playing Wk1. But HIGH risk
1/9 pic.twitter.com/fG9urbL1OC
— Deepak Chona, MD. SMA (@SportMDAnalysis) August 15, 2025
For starters, Stafford is reportedly dealing with a disc herniation. If we look at it from a football perspective, throwing a dime isn’t just about arm strength. A lot of body rotation, especially from the spine and core, is in the mix as well. Speaking of a disc herniation, it can be irritated or worsened by twisting. And that means only one thing: every throw puts Stafford at risk of making his injury worse.
Speaking of worse, Chona reported that the Rams tested him last week, sure. But as it turned out, his body didn’t respond well. Consider the quarterback felt a little discomfort, pain, or reduced mobility as the regular season inches closer. Stafford is now scheduled to go under another examination next week. However, amidst all the chaos, Chona also shared something to be optimistic about. Stafford has a history of playing through injuries, and he is expected to start Week 1. The bad news?
The injury carries a high risk of re-aggravation. One bad throw and he’ll be done for the season, which neither Sean McVay nor the Rams’ faithful wants to see. When questioned whether Stafford’s back issue was causing pain or if it was just actually affecting how well he can move and play, McVay responded bluntly. “I think probably a little bit of both,” the HC said.
“We’re trying to get our hands around this as well, so I don’t really have much more information other than think we’re trying some different things that are hopefully going to be in alignment with getting him back out on the field.” Stafford’s injury is severe but doesn’t require him to go under the knife yet. But his fate for this season is still hanging by a thread.
While we expect him to recover by Week 1, no denying that. But the quarterback room in LA has become something to be worried about for the Rams’ head coach.
Sean McVay’s backup QB struggles in Matthew Stafford’s absence
A couple of days back, NFL insider Peter Schrager claimed that even though Matthew Stafford is dealing with a severe injury, the Rams aren’t much concerned about him being a Week 1 starter. While there were plenty of reasons, sure. But what stood out was the quarterback room. In Stafford’s absence, backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo took most of the first-team reps in practice. And when the preseason opener rolled around, Stetson Bennett IV turned heads with 16 of 24 passes, 188 yards, and 2 TDs.
Fast forward to now, and there’s a twist in the narrative, and it revolves around Garoppolo. To put it straight-up: Garoppolo struggled against the Saints in the joint practice. In many ways. McVay didn’t sugarcoat his evaluation and called it “Ups and downs.” More downs than ups, if we’re being real. The main issue? The Saints’ defensive front was all over him. McVay called New Orleans’ defense “very effective.”
Examples of Garoppolo’s struggles are many. For starters, Saints’ safety Julian Blackmon picked off his pass along the left sideline. It was Blackmon’s third pick in three days. Secondly, the QB threw a dangerous pass to Davante Adams. Garoppolo lobbed a high, slow pass that could’ve left Adams exposed to a big hit (if it were a real game). Adams didn’t get hurt because it’s a non-contact practice, no doubt. But it reminded everyone of their chemistry when they were in Vegas. Adams was simply frustrated with Garoppolo.
July 28, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: 11 Jimmy Garoppolo, QB of the Los Angeles Rams during their NFL, American Football Herren, USA training camp on Monday July 28, 2025 at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. JAVIER ROJAS/PI Los Angeles USA – ZUMAp124 20250728_zaa_p124_085 Copyright: xJavierxRojasx
Besides, the backup QB also recorded some throws that were off target, and receivers like Puka Nacua dropped catchable passes. One could wonder why all this matters so much. Well, Garoppolo had a track record of struggling under pressure. With the 49ers (last season as a starter), his completion rate dropped from 70% (clean pocket) to 57% (under pressure). Next season? It dropped from 73.4% to 39% when pressured while playing for the Raiders.
All in all, McVay is now staring at a quarterback problem that was never supposed to exist in the first place. Matthew Stafford is down. Jimmy Garoppolo is talented and carries experience, sure. But his complications have started to emerge at the worst time possible. We’ll see how the situation will unfold almost three weeks from now.
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