WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The volatility of a back injury can be frustrating, and no one felt that more than Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford while he was sidelined.
"It's challenging," Stafford said, speaking to the media for the first time Thursday since the start of training camp. "All I want to do is practice and play and get out there and be with the guys, and I wasn't able to do that."
Those feelings have gradually gone away over the course of this week as he returned to practice for the first time Monday and was a full participant the entire week. Stafford said he felt "a whole lot more like myself out there" today, and that "nothing's feeling uncomfortable" as he navigates the pocket against a Los Angeles pass rush that creates plenty of opportunities for him to move within it.
Stafford declined to get into specifics about his back injury, and reiterated a day-to-day approach when asked if he expects to be ready for Week 1 agains the Texans.
He said he began experiencing back discomfort while training this summer. He also said there wasn't one particular moment when it popped up.
"Just something that crept up on me a little bit," Stafford said.
Stafford said he has done "everything under the sun" in terms of trying to get back, crediting the efforts' of the Rams' medical and training staffs to help him, including "a ton of research."
Monday marked his first time practicing, and he said he was able to do "a little bit more" than he thought – which makes sense considering the original plan after he conducted a workout at the team's facility on Aug. 9 was to have him only do individual drills in practice the following Monday.
"I think the first day, I wasn't expecting to do as much as I did, and I felt pretty good, so I just kind of kept going," Stafford said. "And coach was cool enough to let me kind of push myself. And he knows that I know myself and how I feel, and so he let me kind of go. And it felt like I hadn't been out there in a while. Physically fine, but just seeing the defense operate and doing all this stuff, and it's my third day, call it in a row, whatever that is, our third practice day of a four-day block, and definitely felt a whole lot more like myself out there today, and just want to continue to do everything I possibly can to be ready for the guys in the locker room."
Head coach Sean McVay said Stafford has been a full participant in practice this week, and "activated all parts of the field" in terms of the throws he's been able to make the last couple of days.
"I've seen a guy that's gotten better and better," McVay said. "He looks like the stud that we know. I think the first day was kind of getting comfortable, just getting his feet wet a little bit. And then I think each of the last couple days, he's played really fast. He's activated all parts of the field. Like I mentioned to you guys the other day, thought our rush on defense did a great job, and you could feel that pocket collapse. And he's getting through progressions quickly, so he looked outstanding today."
As difficult as it was for Stafford to watch from the sidelines for multiple weeks, he enjoyed seeing the extended opportunities it afforded to fellow Rams quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett throughout camp and the preseason.
Still, it means a lot to him to be out there with his teammates knowing how much they count on him. This week marked a positive step in that direction as the regular season nears.
"I've played a bunch of games in this league. I still love playing, and all I want to do is be out there in practice and play with these guys," Stafford said. "So it's been fun the last couple days to get going."
