WOODLAND HILLS — Rams head coach Sean McVay has proven to be one of the brightest and well-versed minds in football, but he’s never claimed to be clairvoyant.
So when asked about starting quarterback Matthew Stafford’s health after Monday’s practice, McVay didn’t bring out a Magic 8 Ball, or tarot cards, but said as of right now his quarterback is where he needs to be in order to start the season opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7.
“Full participant again, so we’re in good shape,” McVay said. “I can’t see into the future, but if you look at what the last week has entailed, feel really good and there’s nothing that would lead me to believe, unless we have an unforeseen setback, that he’s not going to be ready to roll against the Texans.”
Stafford’s health has been one of the main topics of discussion throughout training camp. The veteran quarterback has been dealing with an aggravated disk in his back, delaying his return to practice until last Monday.
McVay said Stafford made it through last week without any setbacks and felt good in the mornings the day after practice. The plan that Stafford, the medical staff, and VP of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott have established seems to be working.
While McVay had originally designed a training camp schedule where he’d be able to pick and choose spots with Stafford, like many teams do with veteran players, he didn’t forecast him missing a large chunk of time to start.
But maybe Stafford’s absence at the start of training camp could even be construed as a blessing in disguise.
The time off has allowed Stafford, who is entering his 17th season, to spend more time with his family, stay fresh, and it also served as a reminder of how much he loves to be out there with his teammates.
And now he’ll be ready to go when it matters most – the season.
“There’s an awareness and an understanding with some of our veteran players, how do we keep them mentally, physically and emotionally sharp,” McVay said. “With Matthew, I think that served him well. It kind of organically unfolded maybe a little later than we anticipated. But I think he’s having a lot of fun, I think he’s enjoying it. And sometimes that absence you can really have an appropriate perspective of how much he loved doing this stuff and that’s what I felt from him this last week and a half.”
Another veteran expected to be back at practice next week is offensive lineman Alaric Jackson. The former undrafted free agent, who is entering his fifth season with the organization, hasn’t been able to be a full participant in practice due to blood clots in his leg.
Jackson has participated in individual drills and jog-throughs, but McVay said he should be ready to go for full practice next week.
“I think we’ve got a good plan in place,” McVay said. “That is something, you know, whether you talk about Matthew’s back or the thing with Alaric, that I certainly have never dealt with before. So I think that demands flexibility, but we feel really good. I mean, he has put so much work in. I think he’s handled it like a total stud, and I’m really happy for him that all things are pointing to him being ready to go and being able to manage this.”
NOTES
Tight end Terrance Ferguson, the Rams’ first draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 46 overall), played in his first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
Ferguson had two catches for 48 yards, including a 33-yard over-the-shoulder grab that impressed McVay.
“It was good. I thought he did a really nice job. I think he did a good job in the run game,” McVay said. “I think he can finish a little bit better on some of those things, and he knows that, we talked about it cause I have a lot of confidence in him not to just be a receiving tight end but a complete tight end. He’s just kind of got a good feel, a good tempo to his game, I thought he did well.”