Matthew Stafford’s still battling that back issue he picked up way back at the start of camp. And here we are, just three weeks from the regular season, and he still hasn’t suited up for Rams practice. Nobody really knows if this thing’s going to clear up tomorrow, stick around for months, or worst-case, end with him under the knife. The QB’s 37 now, and he’s edging toward that late-career stage where every injury feels scarier. So where does that leave Sean McVay and the Rams?

Well, if we believe Peter Schrager, McVay and the Rams aren’t much concerned about Stafford’s return by Week 1. And the logic tracks. Why? Stafford hasn’t practiced at camp, sure. But just before the preseason opener, the quarterback threw 68 passes at the Rams’ Woodland Hills practice facility. And Schrager believes that the Rams aren’t much concerned about Stafford’s return because they’re just being cautious.

“Look, he hasn’t said it outwards and the Rams haven’t told me that, but the fact that he was throwing on Saturday and had a session where he threw the ball 60 times, I just knowing Matthew, I think he would play if it was up to him and he’s being ultra cautious, Schrager said on the Pat McAfee Show. “But I’m sure that the trainers and the medical staff are the ones advising him here that no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Let’s be ultra, ultra sure.”

Plus, for the Rams, there’s a lot to be optimistic about. Amid Stafford’s absence at camp, backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo took most of the first-team reps in practice and was the logical top candidate to step in for the preseason opener against the Cowboys. The twist? Well, neither Stafford nor Garoppolo started in the Preseason Week 1 showdown. It was Stetson Bennett IV, who actually took the field and started the game for LA.

The guy completed 16 of 24 passes, threw for 188 yards, and racked up a couple of touchdowns, leading the Rams to a decisive 31-21 win over Dallas. Safe to say the quarterback depth chart is the least thing to worry about for the head coach and his crew. But one question emerges: Will we see Matthew Stafford throw some passes before the regular season kicks off? Well, Peter Schrager also addressed the same query.

“The question is, does he (Stafford) eventually get some reps in practice before week one?” Schrager wondered. “Because, as great as we might think on paper at all is and as amazing as he was in the in the June and May months, we’d like to see it in August just for our comfort from the outside looking in.” But then again, the NFL insider reiterated that the Rams aren’t much concerned about week one yet. The reasons seem palpable: they’re confident with how the offense worked with Garoppolo under the center, just in case things go south with Stafford.

To spice it up, Stetson Bennett also turned heads in the preseason opener against the Cowboys. Long story short: if it were Week 1 tomorrow, Matthew Stafford would definitely be available to perform. However, as the regular season is still over three weeks away, the Rams are just being ultra-cautious for their 37-year-old quarterback. Meanwhile, Stafford’s retirement plans have already started buzzing even before the 2025 season kicks off.

Matthew Stafford will presumably remain close to football after retirement

When a quarterback or any other NFL player enters his late thirties, one question always pops up: What’s next after retirement? And Matthew Stafford has found himself amidst the same questions. The twist? He seems to have already sorted out his retirement plans. The Rams quarterback has joined SiriusXM NFL Radio’s football talk show, “Let’s Go.” Yes, the same talk show and podcast that have featured stars like Jim Gray, Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, Bill Belichick, you name it.

Fast forward to now, and Stafford is the latest entry, as he stepped in to replace Belichick, who has left to head coach the University of North Carolina. The news broke on August 12, and it confirmed that the Rams’ veteran will appear alongside Gray, Maxx Crosby, and Peter King. The show is returning for its fifth season, featuring Stafford, and will debut on Monday, September 1. You can tune in for new episodes every week.

That means, outside of all the regular season drama, Rams fans can now catch Stafford breaking down games and sharing his takes every Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Season 5 of the show kicks off September 1 on SiriusXM Channel 88, and yeah, you can stream it on pretty much every big podcast platform too. So mark your calendars for Week 1, tune in, and let’s all hope we see No. 9 back on the field, slinging passes, sooner rather than later, as he deals with back issues.