Rams helping Matthew Stafford manage elbow issue

All things considered, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has enjoyed a solid 2022 so far. Stafford and his teammates hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February after they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI, and the 34-year-old then put pen to paper on a four-year extension reportedly worth $160 million with $135 million guaranteed. 

Things haven't, however, been perfect for Stafford since the last time he threw a football against a live defense in a meaningful game. He required an anti-inflammatory shot for his elbow during the offseason and, per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website, is still dealing with discomfort as of the early days of August. 

"We'd lessened Matthew's workload today," Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday as he works to prepare his club for the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills. "Really when we look at it, we've got five weeks until Sept. 8. He's still feeling a little bit of pain, he could push through it. You guys have been out here, he's been throwing and competing in team settings. We felt like the smart thing was let's really just take it a week at a time. He ended up getting about 40 to 50 throws in individual. We didn't take part in the team activities and that's really more a result of he's got so much experience."

Patra added that backup signal-caller John Wolford is expected to start in place of Stafford for August exhibition matchups. The Rams open the preseason against the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 13. 

As noted by ESPN stats, Stafford finished the 2021 regular season second in the league with 41 touchdown passes, third with 4,886 passing yards and fourth with a 63.8 total QBR.