Fast Start ‘Crucial’ For Rams, Matthew Stafford Injury Now ‘Obvious’ Concern, Says Whitworth

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Stafford is at the center of that challenge. The 37-year-old quarterback has been dealing with an aggravated disc in his back since the start of training camp and recently received an epidural to manage the pain. While they remain optimistic Stafford will be ready for Week 1, the veteran has yet to participate in padded practices.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport described Stafford’s condition as “week-to-week,” and ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that LA is intentionally holding him back for maintenance reasons. “If the Rams had a game today, Stafford would be playing without a question,” Schefter said.

Whitworth echoed that sentiment: “There’s obviously some concern — but not about whether Stafford will be out there in Week 1, playing quarterback for the Rams.”

Still, Whitworth emphasized that Stafford’s health is a clear concern—and the team can’t afford to let the season slip away early.

“If they can start fast—get ahead early—they could position themselves to host a playoff game in L.A. instead of traveling to places like Philadelphia in January,” Whitworth added. “That’s the opportunity in front of them.”

The urgency is justified. The Rams face the Texans, Eagles, 49ers, and Ravens in the first half of the season. All are playoff-caliber teams, and dropping too many of those contests could leave L.A. scrambling.

Making things trickier is the Rams’ second-half schedule. Five of their six divisional games come after Week 8, along with matchups against the Lions, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Falcons—teams with major upside potential.

The Rams were able to surge late in 2024, going 9-2 after their Week 6 bye, but many of those wins came by razor-thin margins. Repeating that kind of close-game success is far from guaranteed.

And with Stafford injury status day-to-day, the team is already managing several veterans’ workloads, including Davante Adams, Tyler Higbee, and Rob Havenstein. The team is cautiously optimistic, but the need for younger players like Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams to step up early has never been greater.

“They want to win the division again, but it won’t be easy,” Whitworth said. “Every other team in the NFC West has improved, so a strong start will be crucial.”

Crucial indeed—especially with a 37-year-old quarterback whose back is already a storyline at the beginning of August.