CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Stafford will go through another lengthy workout Saturday to test his injured back before the Los Angeles Rams’ second preseason game.
Coach Sean McVay said the 37-year-old quarterback will do much the same workout he did last Saturday before the Rams beat the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Stafford made 68 throws of all lengths in that workout.
The Rams thought and hoped that Stafford would participate in individual drills in practice this week, but his back didn’t feel good enough to do it Monday, and he also didn’t participate in the team’s next two practices. Stafford apparently aggravated a disk in his back during the weeks between minicamp and training camp, and he has yet to practice at all since the Rams reconvened.
“He’s going to work out on Saturday, and hopefully it responds a little bit better,” McVay said.
The Rams host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
McVay said Stafford’s back injury likely causes both pain and functional problems. The Rams had said before last week that the 17-year veteran could play if the Rams were in the regular season, but McVay has seemed less certain about that belief since last weekend’s setback.
McVay said earlier this week that the Rams haven’t discussed the possibility of surgery on Stafford’s disk.
“We’re trying to hands around this as well,” McVay said. “I don’t really have much more information, other than we’re trying some different things that are hopefully going to be in alignment with getting him back out on the field.”
Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett ran the Rams’ offense Thursday during a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on the training fields surrounding the LA Galaxy’s home stadium in suburban Carson. The Saints stayed in the Los Angeles area after facing the Chargers in their preseason opener last weekend.
The Rams’ offense didn’t look particularly sharp, with Garoppolo and Bennett both making regrettable throws while Chase Young and the Saints’ pass rushers looked impressive against LA’s offensive line. The receivers also had several drops while facing a defense led by Brandon Staley, the Rams’ former defensive coordinator.
“I thought he was up and down,” McVay said of Garoppolo, the longtime 49ers starter who joined LA as Stafford’s backup last season. “I think (the Saints’) rush did a good job, especially in some of those early periods. Didn’t seem like we were able to find a rhythm, but what I did like was once we got into second and third down, thought he was seeing coverage well, distributing the ball. I loved the way he finished in the two-minute drill.”
McVay isn’t allowing Garoppolo to play in the preseason, so Bennett will run the Rams’ offense again when they face the Chargers. Justin Herbert will play briefly for the Bolts.
The only feisty moment of the joint practice occurred when McVay appeared to admonish New Orleans’ Demario Davis and Bryan Bresee for a low tackle on Kyren Williams, who went down awkwardly but wasn’t injured.
“Guys are just playing hard,” McVay said. “It wasn’t anything malicious.”
The Saints clearly enjoyed being on the field with McVay, who razzed them with friendly trash talk at times. Young and other New Orleans veterans also took time between plays to chat briefly with the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.
“I’m a big fan of him, so it was great to come out here and get a scrimmage against him,” Saints defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said. “Just competitive. Just trying to get under a guy’s skin, talking. It’s a long practice, so you kind of want to have fun with it while it’s going, you know. You kind of want to keep them juices going and talking smack.”
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