Reporter makes troubling remark about Matthew Stafford’s back injury

Matthew Stafford has been a full participant in practice for more than a week after he missed much of the offseason with a back injury, but one reporter believes the Los Angeles Rams quarterback is going to have to manage the issue all year long.

Stafford missed a significant portion of training camp while he was receiving treatment for what was described as back soreness. It was later revealed that he has a disc issue and received an epidural injection to address the pain.

In a Tuesday appearance on the “Heed the Call NFL Podcast,” Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic said it is a positive sign that Stafford has been practicing ahead of the Rams’ Week 1 game against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7. However, Rodrigue sparked some concern among fans when she said she believes Stafford’s back injury is “gonna be a thing” throughout all of the 2025 season.

“After Week 1, we might have a completely different reaction. He might take a big hit. This back thing is gonna be a thing, to me, through the entire season,” Rodrigue said. “But for right now, to open up the season and to hopefully get on the right track in their mind, things are trending in the right way.”