Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t throw in the offseason, due to an elbow issue that eventually required an anti-inflammatory injection. He’s been throwing in camp. After a week of using it, he was asked on Saturday how it’s going.
“It’s coming along,” Stafford told reporters. “I’m kind of right where I want to be and just continue to get it feeling better. Get it stronger. You just lose those reps through the offseason and [I’m] trying to gain some of those reps back at the moment.”
That’s the challenge, balancing the urgency that comes from those lost reps in the offseason program with protecting the arm. Coach Sean McVay said that, on Sunday, neither Stafford nor any of the other quarterbacks will be throwing.
“Tomorrow will be a de-loaded day,” McVay told reporters. “We’ll basically be jog-through. We’re really working in kind of those four-day blocks where you see us go two on, kind of a de-loaded day, and then kind of ramp it up again with a day off [after that]. Tomorrow will be that third day of the four-day block, which will be kind of more of a mental approach for us. Similar to what you saw in the OTAs.”
So the good news for Stafford is that, so far, everything is fine. The challenge will be keeping it that way through the rest of camp, a 17-game regular season, and beyond.