Last season, Matthew Stafford was the darling of the NFL, and now the vicious hits he has endured have him in concussion protocol. After a lengthy career with the Detroit Lions, which was virtually lost amid the fray of better overall teams, everything came together for Stafford when he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021.
How Did L.A. Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford Get Concussion?
Compiling a record of 12-5 and winning a Super Bowl in his first year with the team corrected the misconception that he was not a top-tier NFL quarterback. Now the dangers of the game at the quarterback position have caught up with him, and he is sitting down in concussion protocols while his team currently sports a disappointing 3-7 record.
The season began with concern over Stafford’s health, and then he suffered a vicious hit three weeks ago during their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and entered concussion protocol. He was then inactive during the next game, a divisional clash against the Arizona Cardinals that they lost 27-17.
When Stafford landed in the concussion protocol following the loss to the Buccaneers, he flew to Pittsburgh for consultation with concussion specialists. However, Stafford came back last week against the New Orleans Saints, but he had to leave the game early after suffering another on-field hit.
Stafford felt numbness in his legs on Sunday’s game against the Saints, and after being checked out by the medical staff and evaluated for a concussion, the Rams thought it best to keep him out for the remainder of the game as a precaution.
Now that Stafford has been placed in the league’s concussion protocol for the second time in two weeks, the status of the Rams QB is seriously in jeopardy for the remainder of the season. Stafford will need to pass the necessary tests to be cleared as part of the protocol, but it doesn’t mean he necessarily has a concussion.
When Will Matthew Stafford Play Quarterback Again?
Rams head coach Sean McVay said during a press conference that the team is taking it a week at a time with Stafford. The season has been deemed a loss already, and the value is preserving Stafford’s health versus trying to salvage a lost season. In fact, McVay has yet to rule out ending Stafford’s season if the team feels it is the best thing for him.
“I think it’s probably too soon for me to be able to answer that one,” McVay said after the Saints game. “There’s a lot of things that we’re working through that are, I would say, unprecedented. What I do appreciate is the way guys continue to battle, continue to try to compete, and we’re gonna coach these guys up that we’ve got. As far as it relates to Matthew, we’re gonna be smart for him. He’s such a warrior, he’s such a stud competitor. I know how badly he wants to be out there and thought he played really well with the opportunities that he did have.”
With attention on quarterback safety after the scares suffered by the Miami Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa, Matthew Stafford is another high-profile QB that is proving the safety meter of the NFL is off.
