The bye week came at the perfect time for the Los Angeles Lakers as they had multiple players ailing and needing some rest.
The Rams were shorthanded in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers and they sorely missed Matthew Stafford who was forced to sit out due to the UCL sprain he suffered on his thumb against the Dallas Cowboys. Stafford tried his best to suit up against Green Bay, but ultimately the team decided it was best for him to stay on the sidelines.
Stafford’s one of the toughest players in the league and routinely plays through injury, but the sprain in his thumb would affect his throwing ability and it wasn’t worth him aggravating it further. Los Angeles signed Carson Wentz to backup Stafford, a signal that he could perhaps step in for their Week 11 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
However, it sounds like Stafford’s making progress and should be able to return after the bye, via The Pat McAfee Show:
“Thumb’s feeling better than I thought it would,” Stafford said. “I was a little bit scared in the Dallas game that it was gonna be worse than it was and just happy that it’s not. I’m gonna do everything I can to be out there. I love playing this game and love competing, so I’m gonna do whatever I need to do to be out there.”
This is obviously good news for the Rams as Stafford hasn’t suffered any setbacks and appears poised to return to the field. Los Angeles desperately needs him to get the offense back on track, so hopefully he’s able to get some practice time in.
At 3-6, the Rams are looking at a steep climb back into the playoff picture and a loss to the Seahawks would almost guarantee they’ll miss it. However, seeing a healthy Stafford to close out the year would go a long way in giving the franchise confidence that he can lead the team back to the postseason in 2024.
Carson Wentz contract details
Brett Rypien drew the start in place of Stafford against the Packers, but his performance left much to be desired as he struggled to move the football. A couple of days later, Los Angeles decided to waive Rypien and bring in Carson Wentz.
Wentz has made several stops in his NFL career, and details of his contract were revealed.
