The Los Angeles Rams remember where they were at this point in the NFL calendar last year, hoping that quarterback Matthew Stafford would be healthy enough in time to suit up for the regular season.
He did, and in fact went on to earn the MVP in 2025.
Heading into 2026, and specifically the start of training camp, the Rams are not taking any chances with their star QB.
Rams’ Make Plan for Matthew Stafford Clear
GettyMatthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are taking a cautious approach.
The Rams reported for training camp on Saturday. That allowed head coach Sean McVay to set the table regarding a variety of topics, including Stafford.
Stafford played in all 17 regular-season games and all three of the Rams’ postseason contests last season. But he was in danger of landing on injured reserve due to a back injury that required some unconventional methods to recover from.
Stafford is healthy this time around, and McVay and the Rams plan to keep him that way.
“What we did learn last year . . . how can we make sure that–going into this year, where he’s accumulated so much experience, ultimately, really for our team, but especially somebody going into Year 18, mentally, physically, emotionally–how can we be as fresh and ready to go when we start in Australia?” McVay told reporters on July 25. “We operate in those four-day blocks, as he’ll take part in Day 2 and Day 4. So, he’ll be off on Days 1 and 3. He’ll be doing his own independent stuff, where he’s taking care of his body.
“That third day represents more of an above-the-neck approach. And so, tomorrow, when we practice–he is feeling good–he will not practice tomorrow, that has been part of the plan be able to keep him on a pitch count and do some of the things that hey, whether it was a weird way or not, we learned a lot about how to try to be able to maximize him.”
Stafford, who turned 38 in February, has said that he feels good this offseason.
Nevertheless, the Rams are treading on thin ice at quarterback, so keeping Stafford healthy is their most-pressing issue. Backups Stetson Bennett IV and Ty Simpson have zero regular-season experience. The former has played in the preseason for three years, though.
That uncertainty is in addition to questions about the eventual availability of left tackle Alaric Jackson and wide receiver Puka Nacua.
Stafford plays the most important singular position in football, and the Rams know that.
Rams Get Reality Check About QB1
GettyKeeping Matthew Stafford healthy is Job No. 1 for the Los Angeles Rams.
Most teams would struggle if they lost their starting quarterback, and the Rams and Stafford’s situation is no different. The spotlight is brighter, though, given he is coming off an MVP-winning season and the team’s Super Bowl aspirations.
That is why their decision to roll with Bennett and Simpson as Stafford’s backups (for now, at least) such a risky proposition.
The Athletic’s Nate Atkins noted Stafford is the Rams’ “most essential” player.
“He holds the keys to everything McVay wants to do with the offense and then some, as his ability to read and adjust pre-snap and then throw off-platform, no-look or into tight windows is something few other passers can match,” Atkins wrote on July 23.
“If Stafford were to miss time, the most important position could fall onto either Stetson Bennett or rookie Ty Simpson. The entire identity of the Rams offense would change in a single snap.”
However, Atkins also noted how the Rams’ plan for Stafford can benefit Simpson.
“Simpson will see some reps this summer as Stafford manages a degenerative back issue,” Atkins wrote on July 25. “Simpson will use this training camp, as well as three preseason games, to try to beat out Stetson Bennett for the No. 2 quarterback role.”
That approach is sound. The only part of it that matters for the Rams is that Stafford makes it through the rest of the summer healthy.
Rams Make Critical Decision About Matthew Stafford