Matthew Stafford Working Out Again On Saturday

The biggest story surrounding the Los Angeles Rams during training camp has been the status of starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. It was reported nearly two weeks ago that he suffered an aggravated disc, but at the time, there were no concerns about his availability long-term.

Within a week of that news, Stafford was doing full workouts and was expected to return to practice last Monday. But Monday came and went, and Stafford did not participate in practice. He ended up missing the entirety of the week, with some more uncertain quotes from head coach Sean McVay about his status.

That brings us to Saturday, where Stafford will participate in the same workout he did last weekend in the hopes of a better response and a quicker return to practice, according to Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:

Rams head coach Sean McVay said quarterback Matthew Stafford has another workout scheduled for Saturday similar to the one he conducted last weekend.

“Hopefully it responds a little bit better, and then I’ll have more information for you guys then,” McVay said after Thursday’s joint practice with the Saints.

McVay didn’t have much to add to this status, saying that there isn’t even certainty on what exactly the injury is and how he’ll be able to recover or play through it:

When asked on Thursday if Stafford’s back issue is more functional or pain tolerance, McVay said “I think probably a little bit of both.”

“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,” McVay said.

This is definitely a change in tone from when Stafford’s aggravated disc was initially reported. That alone could be cause for concern about his long-term status as Stafford enters his age-37 season.

The good news, though, is that the Rams have three weeks until they take the field for their Week 1 game against the Houston Texans. That’s plenty of time for both Stafford to get healthy, and for backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to get comfortable within the offense if he’s not.

Matthew Stafford to host Season 5 of “Let’s Go”

In off-field news, Matthew Stafford has been named a host for Season 5 of the SiriusXM NFL show, “Let’s Go!” He joins Jim Gray, Maxx Crosby and Peter King to discuss the weekly news and game recaps across the league.

This is Stafford’s first true media roll, and it will debut on Sept. 1 on the SiriusXM NFL Radio channel, channel 88. The show involves weekly discussions on the Rams and other trending topics around the league. Stafford and Gray will also be joined throughout the season by special guests from the worlds of sports, entertainment and beyond. Episodes air every Monday — starting Sept. 1 — at 3:30 p.m. PT.