Getty Matthew Stafford watches warm ups before the Rams' December 19, 2022 road game in Green Bay.
Matthew Stafford was not his Pro Bowl self in 2022. But on day one of the Los Angeles Rams‘ offseason program on Monday, April 17, did he walk into the Thousand Oaks facility feeling like his old self?
“I’m not 25, but I definitely feel good,” the 35-year-old Stafford jokingly said to the L.A. media.
The Super Bowl 56 winner joined the rest of the Rams as they get an early start on redeeming themselves from their 5-12 disaster. For Stafford, it became the second time in the last three seasons he witnessed a five-win campaign. However, last season’s fall was his first as a Ram…and a complete reversal from the emotional wave of winning his first career Vince Lombardi Trophy. Stafford himself revealed the hardest part of the ’22 campaign.
Stafford Revealed how Offense Went Away From Identity
Ram fans saw a more watered down version of the offense last season as the injuries piled. The end result was ranking 32nd in yards.
Stafford admitted that his injuries — beginning with his right elbow contusion in training camp then a spinal cord contusion injury that shelved him for the rest of 2022 following the Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints — prevented him from reigniting the fireworks from his first season in L.A. And in the process, the Rams offense looked vastly different.
“I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do,” he said. “We handed the ball off on every play or whatever. I didn’t throw all offseason. That’s kind of frustrating for a guy that likes to do that. So, it’s kind of nice that I’ll be able to go out there and have a much more normal offseason experience and be able to be out there and do what I love to do.”
Stafford Updates Health
The first day of the offseason program saw a Stafford who said he was “ready to go [and] ready to play” as soon as he was cleared.
This time, there’s no issue with his elbow or spinal ailment as he revealed he’s been throwing with his teammates “a decent amount leading up” to the offseason program, meaning he didn’t wait until Monday to redevelop the chemistry with the Rams’ targets.
For now, it’s a one day at a time situation for Stafford. But Ram fans can welcome some relief that QB1 is healthier than the 2022 version.
“So, it’ll be a process as it always is to try and stay as healthy as you possibly can at all times. But I definitely feel like I can go out there and compete and do everything I want to do, which is fun and exciting for me,” he said.
Analyst Predicts 2023 Stats for Stafford
So will Stafford’s comeback tour include a 3,000 or 4,000-yard campaign? ESPN analyst Mike Clay gave his prediction on Thursday, April 13.
Good news: Stafford is predicted to eclipse past 3,900 yards. But the bad news? Clay predicts Stafford will match his 2014 passing touchdown total — which was one of his career low marks.
Clay is projecting a 3,959-yard, 22 touchdown campaign for Stafford. He’s added a prediction of 13 interceptions as well. He also has Stafford getting sacked 41 times, which is higher than the 29 he endured in 2022.