No elbow problem. No money-related hold-in.
Just a scheduled day off.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford did not practice Monday — the team’s first in pads — but coach Sean McVay shut down speculation quicker than a Stafford-delivered pass during a two-minute drill.
“This was part of the plan all along,” McVay said, adding, “There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s good.”
Jimmy Garoppolo took Stafford’s place with the first-team offense and Stetson Bennett worked with the second team.
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Although both excelled at times, there is no replacing Stafford. The 16th-year pro is the key player for a team that will enter the season with far greater expectations than the 2023 version that finished with a better-than-anticipated 10-7 record and made the playoffs.
So managing Stafford’s workload, and keeping the 36-year-old injury free, remains paramount.
In 2022, after the Rams’ victory in Super Bowl LVI, Stafford did not throw passes during the offseason and was limited in training camp because of right elbow tendinitis. Midway through a lost season, he sustained a concussion that forced him to sit out a game and then a spinal injury that sidelined him the last seven games .
Last season, Stafford returned to an elite level. After sitting out one midseason game because of a thumb injury, he led the Rams’ second-half surge to the postseason.
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During the offseason, Stafford surprised the Rams by asking for a contract adjustment. The Rams finally gave in last week and resolved the situation as players were reporting for training camp.
Stafford looked sharp throughout the first week of workouts, delivering passes from all angles to Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and other Rams receivers. But after a day off Sunday, he was not in his jersey Monday.
McVay said the decision to sit Stafford was made because of the amount of throws he made and because Monday’s practice would be heavy on running plays.
Stafford will practice Tuesday, McVay said.
“We have a much better grasp of … just where he’s at in this part in his career,” McVay said. “You don’t ever want to have any of those elbow issues creep up again.”
Garoppolo, 32, has his own history of injuries, but the 11th-year pro — who signed a one-year contract with the Rams — got through offseason workouts unscathed and passed well during the first week of camp.
On Monday, his experience and increasing comfort in the offense showed.
A touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long in the back of the end zone harked to throws Garoppolo made with the San Francisco 49ers against the Rams while forging an 8-0 record in regular-season games.
“He’s got great command,” McVay said. “You can see he’s played a lot.”
Garoppolo must sit out the first two regular-season games against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals because of a suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
So if Stafford were to be sidelined before or during those games, Bennett would be in line to replace him.
Bennett, a second-year pro, spent all of last season on the non-football injury/illness list. Monday marked his first extended work in team drills since the summer of 2023.
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Bennett made several outstanding passes, one on a sideline route to receiver Xavier Smith and another on a touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Johnson. He also made some mistakes.
“He had some really good reps; some things where we can be a little bit cleaner,” McVay said, “But what you do see from Stetson is the athleticism. The ability … if we lose contain up front, he can break it and make plays with his legs.”
Bennett enjoyed his first opportunity in full-team drills.
“It went pretty well,” he said. “There were some mistakes, but made some good plays too.
“Just learn from it.”
Etc.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson was sidelined after he sustained an ankle injury early in practice. “I think he’s going to be fine,” McVay said. … Rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske stood out on a day that featured an emphasis on the rushing attack. “He showed up in a big way,” McVay said. “We had some things in that were in alignment that fit his skillset to allow him to really thrive and he took advantage of it.” … Nacua made a spectacular one-handed catch. … The Rams will practice in pads again Tuesday.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.