2 min read • August 06, 2022
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Reigning Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford has reportedly been dealing with a throwing elbow issue during training camp and fans are understandably concerned.
However, it is unlikely that Stafford is dealing with a ulnar collateral ligament injury in his elbow and the Pro Football Docs do not have any concern for his availability or effectiveness for the upcoming regular season.
Head Coach Sean McVay has been cryptic about Stafford's exact injury but said it's “a little bit abnormal for a quarterback” and is something that MLB pitchers deal with.
The Rams' head coach has not confirmed that the issue is tendonitis, but the Pro Football Docs believe Stafford is dealing with medial flexor wad tendonitis.
That common baseball injury would affect Stafford's ability to grip and likely hurt when he flicks his wrist on the follow through of his throws.
It is primarily a pain-tolerance issue and thus the 34-year-old quarterback is not getting a downgrade in his SIC score.
He is still at a 92 because the issue is not likely to keep him out of any games. There is a slight chance it could affect his accuracy on deep throws, but that would only happen if the tendon were significantly aggravated.
The Rams are, smartly, managing Stafford's throwing reps so that the tendonitis does not turn into a chronic pain issue.
The Pro Football Docs would not be surprised to see Stafford throwing with a smaller, college-size football at some point during training camp to reduce stress on the flexor tendon when he grips the ball.
Stafford confirmed that he received a PRP injection in his right elbow after the Super Bowl for an issue that he played through last season.
This is likely that same issue because tendonitis can linger. Stafford has been throwing in individual and 7-on-7 drills early in training camp and McVay told reporters he doesn't expect Stafford to participate in team drills before the Rams leave Irvine on Aug. 10.
That does not mean he has suffered any sort of setback. It likely means the team has known about this issue for awhile and they are taking a measured approach to getting him ready for the regular season.
Stafford has been known to play through injuries in his career and his approach to this tendonitis is likely no different.
The only thing that would sideline Stafford is if he aggravates the flexor tendon to a point where he can't grip the ball. That's what the team is trying to avoid by limiting his reps.
Last season – Stafford's first with the Rams after 12 with the Detroit Lions – he threw for 4,886 yards with 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions while completing 67.2% of his passes, tying a career-high from 2015.
In four playoff games, Stafford threw for a total of 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
The Rams are +1100 to repeat as Super Bowl champions and are +125 to win the NFC West, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Stafford is +800 to lead the league in passing yards this season and +1400 for MVP.
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#Rams QB Matthew Stafford, who’s dealing with thrower’s elbow, looks like he’s taking normal reps through individual and 7-on-7 periods today. So to the extent they’re managing the injury, it doesn’t look like they’re limiting him much.
