The Los Angeles Rams are walking on a tightrope heading into the 2025 NFL season, and the balance of that walk depends on the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old veteran has yet to take a single snap during training camp, and while head coach Sean McVay insists Stafford is “week to week,” the growing concern surrounding his latest back issue suggests the problem might be more serious than the Rams are letting on.
Matthew Stafford’s Back Issue Raises Serious Questions
Stafford recently saw Dr. Robert Watkins, a prominent spine specialist and trusted consultant for numerous LA sports teams, for an undisclosed back issue. Though McVay maintains that “everything is in good shape,” it’s hard to overlook the quarterback’s continued absence from team drills, including the Rams’ final camp workout at Loyola Marymount and an upcoming joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys. Stafford’s status for another joint session with the Los Angeles Chargers remains unclear.
What makes this development even more concerning is Stafford’s injury history. Since arriving in Los Angeles in 2021, he’s built a reputation as a hard-nosed leader, the kind of quarterback who takes punishing hits and gets back up. That warrior mentality has earned him the respect of his teammates and coaches, but it is also a worrisome theme for the focal point of the team going on Year 17.
In 2022, Stafford suffered a bruised spinal column, and in 2023, he injured the thumb on his throwing hand. Last season, it was rib injuries. Now, in 2025, the Rams are contending with back pain serious enough to warrant a specialist’s opinion on several visits. The injuries are piling up, and at 37, Stafford’s body may be struggling to handle the physical toll of 16+ seasons in the NFL.
And no matter how much trust you have in Stafford, visiting a spine specialist two times in the past two weeks for a back issue is concerning. There’s no getting around that. The hope is he’s able to bounce back, but the thought of potentially getting surgery this close to the start of the season is concerning.
Backup Plans in Motion, But the Rams’ Ceiling Hinges on Stafford
While McVay has tried to maintain control of the narrative, noting that Stafford feels the same way about returning and praising the play of backups Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett, there’s no hiding the reality that Stafford’s absence is the dominant storyline of Rams camp. Garoppolo continues to take first-team reps, while Bennett runs the second-team offense, but neither provides the high-end ceiling Stafford offers when healthy.
Even if he’s deemed “fine” in the coming weeks, the caution surrounding his back soreness feels justified. The Rams open their season September 7th against the Houston Texans, and if Stafford does return, it will likely be without the benefit of full-speed preseason reps or any chemistry-building workouts with new star wideout Davante Adams, who has yet to work with him in padded practices. The absence of those crucial reps could impact their early-season chemistry, and that’s assuming Stafford is physically ready to go by the start of the season.
The stakes are especially high given the schedule. If the Rams fulfill their potential and make a deep playoff run, Stafford would need to endure a grueling five-month stretch, culminating in a potential Super Bowl appearance. That would be a punishing toll for any quarterback, let alone one entering his 17th season with serious back concerns.
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