Getty Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly after the Rams won the NFC title on January 30, 2022.
When Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay announced Matthew Stafford was placed into concussion protocol on Wednesday, November 9, collective grief and concern spread across the “Rams House” for the Super Bowl winning quarterback.
But the concerns for the health of the Rams’ QB1 stretched to the Stafford household.
Stafford’s Wife Posts Emotional Reaction
Kelly Stafford, wife of the Rams quarterback and the host of The Morning After podcast, took to Instagram to post her reaction to her husband’s ailment.
“If you follow NFL, you just heard Matthew got put into concussion protocol,” Kelly wrote on The Morning After podcast’s Instagram Stories. “If you have listened to my podcast at all, you know how a big a deal it is to me. The head is not something to be messed with…and I hope as this sport develops, so does the concern for head health and the research around it.”
She then posted her most emotional sentence to the news involving her husband.
“And no, I’m not ok,” she continued. “I have every emotion running through me. Concerned, angry, sad, tired…all of them.”
A Rams team spokesperson told reporters that Stafford was officially placed into concussion protocol on Tuesday, November 8. His condition first surfaced when team medical experts, including vice president of sports and medicine Reggie Scott, did their routine checkups following the 16-13 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Stafford got sacked four times facing the Bucs’ pressure and was hit eight times.
Stafford still addressed the media after the loss. He gave his own honest assessment in saying “I wish I could have played better, because if I played better, we’d probably win that game.
Approach Rams Plan to Take
Stafford is yet to be ruled out for the upcoming Week 10 home contest against the Arizona Cardinals.
McVay unveiled the approach the Rams will take in this situation.
“I know Matthew’s going to do everything in his power to try to be able to be ready and we’ll just take it a day at a time,” McVay said to the media on Wednesday in the Rams’ Thousand Oaks facility.
Stafford has completed 68.4% of his passes this season. However, he’s thrown just 8 touchdowns and has 8 interceptions this season.
If Stafford’s not ready to go, McVay and the Rams will likely pivot to John Wolford, who has been with the Rams longer than Stafford and once wore No. 9 before it went to the 2021 trade addition.
“John’s a guy that when he’s been in these situations, he’s stepped in and done a really good job. And it wasn’t too long ago that he had to come into a game that we had to have to be able to get into the playoffs and he performed incredibly well,” McVay said.
That game was the 2020 season finale against the Rams’ opponent on Sunday, November 13. Wolford guided the Rams to the 18-7 victory to solidify their spot into the postseason. Wolford showed his arm and mobility that January 3 day by combining for 287 yards (56 rushing) in the victory. Three of his best plays came through a third down scenario where he turns to his legs to gain the first down — including one that required 10 yards to get the first.
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John Wolford’s best plays from his first NFL game!
The Rams will aim to stretch their winning streak over Arizona to four in a row when they host the Cards on Sunday.