Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford potentially took the field for the last time this season after being placed on reserve with injuries that sidelined him for at least four games; John Woolford will start against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on the Los Angeles Rams reserve on Saturday, a day after he passed NFL protocol for a second concussion this season.
Stafford missed two of the last three games for the Rams (3-8), whose title defense season fell apart on a five-game losing streak. Although the Rams have not confirmed that Stafford had a concussion this season, he has made two trips in accordance with the league’s concussion protocol.
John Woolford will start as Los Angeles’ quarterback against the Seahawks, while All-Pro defenseman Aaron Donald and All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp are also out with injuries.
Stafford felt numbness in his legs during his loss to the Rams in New Orleans two weeks ago, playing just two days after he first went through concussion protocol.
After Stafford cleared the scoresheet again on Friday, coach Sean McVeigh acknowledged that the struggling Rams are likely to be in no hurry to bring back their 34-year-old star quarterback, who has a contract until 2026.
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“You knew it wouldn’t be available this week because of the neck,” McVeigh said. “So now that we’ve taken one of those steps off, the next one is, let’s get together and then see what it looks like, how much the neck impacts accessibility, and what we’re going to do. do before the end of the season.
Stafford passed for 2,087 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions, throwing a career-high 68 percent of his passes in nine games this season, his second with the Rams after 12 years with the Detroit Lions. He was one of the most resilient NFL quarterbacks in the previous 11 seasons, having missed just eight games – all in the 2019 season – due to injury.
Stafford, Kapp and Donald join wide receiver Allen Robinson, defenseman E’Shon Robinson and a slew of heavily injured offensive linemen for the Rams who have had a poor start since 2011 after hitting their longest drift since 2016.
The Rams also activated rookie linebacker Daniel Hardy from the injured reserve. The seventh-round pick has yet to make his NFL debut after suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason.
