NOVEMBER 16: Stafford returned to practice in full on Wednesday, and he said (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic) he expects to do the same during the rest of the week. The veteran added he originally thought his thumb injury was worse than it was, but a strong next few days will pave the way for his return. That will be a welcomed development for a Rams team looking to improve on its 3-6 start.
NOVEMBER 13: Matthew Stafford is expected to be back under center for the Rams in Week 11. Coach Sean McVay told reporters that his starting QB should be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).
“He’s making great progress, and so we’re operating with the anticipation and expectation that he is going to be good to go,” McVay said. “He’ll be pushing through, but we expect him to be able to start and play and do his thing and lead the way this week.”
Stafford injured the UCL in his thumb back in Week 8. The Rams went with Brett Rypien in Week 9, and the organization ended up moving on from the backup following that loss to the Packers. Barring an unexpected setback, newly-signed Carson Wentz will be the Rams QB2 moving forward. McVay spoke on the Rams’ QB switch, noting that the front office viewed the move as a clear upgrade.
“[We] feel good about Matthew returning, and obviously when he’s out there, you feel great about the leadership and everything that he provides, but god forbid if something were to happen where he weren’t available, felt like this would offer an opportunity for somebody that’s played a lot of high level football to get him in here [and] get him kind of familiar with some of the things that we’re doing,” McVay said.
Thanks to the Rams’ Week 10 bye, Stafford has had two weeks to recover from his thumb injury. While the veteran’s completion percentage and TD percentage are among the lowest of his career, the Rams offense will surely welcome back their starter.