Matthew Stafford Looms Large as Rams’ ‘Biggest Red Flag’ Before Training Camp

The Los Angeles Rams let Matthew Stafford explore the market and gauge his value this offseason, only to re-work the two-time Pro Bowler’s contract and move forward together, a decision they can only hope does not come back to haunt them.

Stafford led the Rams to 10 wins during the 2024 regular season. The Rams were within striking distance of sending them to the NFC Championship Game, too.

However, Father Time is undefeated.

“Age is just a number, they say,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote on June 25. “But this is a gunslinger who’s also battled real bumps and bruises over the last half-decade, to the point he’s openly contemplated retirement. Sean McVay’s offense always has a Super Bowl ceiling with No. 9’s big arm at the controls, but if Stafford can’t stay upright to feed new weapons like Davante Adams, well, there could be big trouble in Los Angeles.”

Stafford completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions during the 2024 regular season.

He sported a 533-4-0 line on 63.4% completion during their playoff stay.

Rams Teammate’s Injury Looms Large for Aging Matthew Stafford

Stafford took 28 sacks during the regular season in 2024. That is the fifth-fewest of his 16-year NFL career. The Rams allowed the sixth-fewest sacks as a team.

Left tackle Alaric Jackson was a key part of that, but he is dealing with blood clots again.

“#Rams OT Alaric Jackson, a key member of the O-line who just signed an extension, is dealing with blood clots once again, per The Insiders. Similar to what he had in 2022,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X on June 13. “While the belief is he’ll play in 2025, there are still questions.”

McVay acknowledged the gravity of the situation, calling it an “unfortunate” development for the soon-to-be 27-year-old offensive lineman.

“He is such a stud, and what Alaric has done, and what he’s kind of been through. You go back to the ‘22 season, and he had these blood clots, and when you hear that it’s such a serious thing, and you’ve got to get on the appropriate medicine. And so, what I do think is great is he was able to communicate he was feeling some things in his lower leg, and he ended up going and getting a scan, and it revealed that that was the case,” McVay told reporters on June 17.

“You pray for him to be able to have a healthy, safe recovery, and we’re really just taking it a day at a time with him. There’s a lot of examples of people that have had situations like this, but they’re all still so uniquely independent in their own right. And so, we’re gathering information. What we did want to be able to do in the meantime was be proactive about a contingency plan.”

Whether or not that contingency plan is enough is critical for Stafford and the Rams.

The only other quarterbacks on the Rams’ roster behind Stafford are Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennet IV, and the recently re-signed Dresser Winn.

Former NFC West Rival Key to Rams’ Contingency Plan

For at least as long as Jackson is sidelined, former Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle D.J. Humphries will man Stafford’s blindside on the Rams’ offensive line.

“D.J. is a guy that we have a lot of respect for. Obviously, familiarity with him just playing against him, and he’s a veteran,” McVay said. “And so, felt like that was definitely the right move for our team in the meantime.”

McVay stressed that the Rams’ priority with Jackson is getting him healthy.

Humphries played in two games in 2024, largely due to injuries. However, Pro Football Focus graded him higher than Jackson in pass protection in 2023. That is good news for the Rams and Stafford.