The Los Angeles Rams went all in once again with their blockbuster acquisition of former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford this offseason.
The Rams made quite an investment in order to land Stafford after parting ways with quarterback Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and two first-round picks (2022,2023). Regardless, it was a small price to pay in order to revamp the offense under head coach Sean McVay following an underwhelming showing in 2020.
Stafford’s arrival has come with both high expectations and a few concerns. The most notable being the small brace on his right thumb that was seen in wife Kelly Stafford’s Instagram story.
Fortunately, it appears there is an explanation for Stafford’s affliction. According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, he reportedly had minor surgery on his right thumb in early March:
New Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a procedure on the thumb of his throwing hand last month, a source confirmed to The Athletic. The source characterized the nature of that procedure as elective by Stafford, and “minor”.
The report added that Stafford is expected to be 100 percent by the time the Rams begin organized team activities on April 19:
The source said that the procedure, which happened in the second week of March, was a “simple clean-up”, adding that Stafford is not expected to miss any part of spring workouts when they open up, and that he’s expected to be at “100 percent” when team activities begin later this month.
On the surface, any injury to the new franchise quarterback is hardly an encouraging start to their preparation this offseason. However, it seems that this was simply a precautionary measure to ensure that there are no lingering effects by the time the 2021 NFL season begins.
Stafford’s track record in playing through injuries also leaves good reason to be optimistic for Rams fans moving forward. The 33-year-old has proven to be as durable as they come throughout the course of his 12-year career and having a stronger supporting cast around him should help take some of the pressure off him under center.
Wide receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are already one of the most productive tandems in the NFL and L.A added more firepower to the mix by signing a speedster in DeSean Jackson. Meanwhile, the emergence of running back Cam Akers should help provide a healthy balance on offense.
The biggest key now for the Rams is taking steps to ensure that they remain as healthy as possible leading up to the season.
