On Monday, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay announced that Matthew Stafford will be starting in the team’s season-opening game in Week 1 against the Houston Texans. Despite a lingering back injury that has limited his availability throughout Rams training camp, Stafford is set to play.
But just how close to 100 percent is Stafford?
Well, Stafford provided some insight into just how healthy he is heading into Week 1, explaining in a conversation with ESPN Rams reporter Sarah Barshop that he would “not think twice” about the aggravated disks in his back when he takes the field at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
“Oh, I’m going to go play the game,” Stafford told Barshop. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m playing like I always play. I got no issues with a physical game. Obviously, would love to stay as clean as possible, but I’m not thinking twice about that at all. I’m out there ready to go play.”
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It’s worth noting that Stafford has dealt with back issues for quite some time. In 2018, fractured bones in his back ended his season after just eight games. And in 2022, Stafford suffered a spinal cord contusion that limited him to playing just nine games.
Ultimately, the Rams certainly need Stafford to be as close to 100 percent as possible this coming season. But perhaps more importantly, the organization needs Stafford to hold up throughout the entirety of the 2025 season, as the drop-off in success without him on the field throughout his tenure in Los Angeles is quite staggering.
In the past four seasons, the Rams have had a 34-23 record in the regular season games that Stafford has started. In games that Stafford has missed, the Rams have just a 3-8 record.
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Unfortunately for Stafford, based on what we saw from the Texans’ defense in 2024, he may not stay as clean as he would like in the season opener.
Last season, the Texans recorded the fifth-most sacks of any defense in football while simultaneously allowing the fifth-least yards per game on defense, making for an incredibly difficult season opener for Stafford.
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