The Los Angeles Rams got a scare when Matthew Stafford suffered a finger injury during the team’s 34-31 wild-card win over the Carolina Panthers.
Stafford’s injury occurred after he attempted a pass near the end of the first half. He hit his throwing hand hard on D.J. Wonnum’s arm, and the 37-year-old recoiled in pain and doubled over following the impact.
Below is a look at the play on which Stafford was injured:
Despite the injury, Stafford did not miss a snap for the Rams. He dealt with some midgame struggles after he first bent back his finger but rebounded in time to lead Los Angeles on a game-winning touchdown drive with 38 seconds left. He finished the game completing 24 of 42 passes for 303 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a more-than-respectable showing.
But how will Stafford’s finger problem impact him moving forward? Here’s what to know about his status for the Rams’ divisional-round game against the Chicago Bears.
Matthew Stafford injury update
Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Monday, Jan 12 that Stafford was dealing with “a little sprain” in his right index finger. McVay also outlined that the plan is for Stafford to play in the divisional round against the Bears.
“He’s as tough as it gets, and he’ll be good to go,” McVay said, per the Associated Press.
McVay’s update comes after reports indicated X-rays on Stafford’s injured hand had been negative.
The veteran quarterback also addressed his injury during a postgame news conference Saturday, Jan. 10. At the time, he said he “got a finger bent back” but expressed confidence it wouldn’t impact him too much moving forward.
“They saw it on the TV on the sideline or whatever. I didn’t obviously know exactly what had happened,” Stafford explained of his finger injury. “It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great.”
“We’ll see what it is,” Stafford added. “I was obviously able to finish the game and throw it decent. Once the ball’s snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good. So we’ll hopefully just keep it going.”
As such, it appears the only question will be about how much Stafford practices as he prepares to face Chicago.
Who is the Rams backup QB?
Jimmy Garoppolo is the Rams’ backup quarterback. The 34-year-old is in his second season with the team and has played sparingly during that span while backing up Stafford. Garoppolo didn’t attempt a pass this season but went 0-1 as a starter for McVay’s squad last year while completing 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Garoppolo has started 64 games across his 12 NFL seasons since being a second-round pick by the New England Patriots in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Eastern Illinois product has a 43-21 career record across those starts and helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl 54, where they lost 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rams QB depth chart
The Rams have just three quarterbacks in their organization as a whole. All three are on the team’s 53-man roster.
Below is a look at the pecking order at the position:
- Matthew Stafford
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Stetson Bennett IV
Bennett was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He played collegiately at Georgia and helped lead the Bulldogs to two national championships.
Bennett has not yet played a snap at the NFL level but was designated the team’s emergency third quarterback for the team’s wild-card win over the Panthers.
