Matthew Stafford injury update: Sean McVay reveals Rams QB won't return next week, expected to be ready for season

After experiencing back soreness this week at training camp, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed that quarterback Matthew Stafford will not return to practice next week. He however is still expected to be ready for the 2025 season, which begins on Sep. 7 against the Houston Texans.

Stafford is embarking on his 17th NFL season and fifth with the Rams. The former Georgia quarterback led Los Angeles to a Super Bowl LVI win in 2022 and has been named a Pro Bowler twice in his career (2014 and 2023).

Sean McVay said QB Matthew Stafford (back soreness) will not return to practice on Monday as anticipated. McVay said the Rams will take it a week at a time with Stafford but that the QB did not experience a setback. McVay said the goal remains to have Stafford back for Week 1.

— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) July 26, 2025

“I don’t think we can be smart enough with somebody like Matthew and I think it’s best for him, best for our football team, and that’s kind of the plan that we’ll have moving forward,” McVay said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

Stafford has played in at least 15 games in three of his four seasons with the Rams, totaling 14,700 yards, 95 touchdowns and just 44 interceptions. He however will be headed into the 2025 season without franchise cornerstone wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who departed for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason.

Los Angeles boasts three backup arms in quarterback room

The 2024 season was a bit of a down one for Stafford, who totaled 3,762 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Stafford’s 2012 campaign with the Detroit Lions (recorded 20 passing touchdowns) and last season are the only other seasons in his career in which he’s played at least 16 games and recorded 20 or less passing scores.

With Stafford dinged up a bit, Los Angeles will trot out the trio of Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett IV and Dresser Winn for the remainder of training camp and preseason. Garoppolo started the Rams’ regular season finale against the Seahawks last season, where he totaled 334 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the 30-25 loss.

Three years removed from winning back-to-back College Football Playoff titles, Bennett IV has yet to take a snap in the NFL. Winn, who is on his third stint with the Rams after signing on June 25, has also yet to take a NFL snap.

“I just want to keep playing good football,” Stafford told Forbes in a one-on-one interview back in February. “I love competing. Obviously getting a chance to make runs in the playoffs, competing for Lombardi trophies is what it’s all about. Once you get a taste of one, you want more of them. I love playing this game.”