Matthew Stafford’s back injury kept the 37-year-old quarterback out of practice Monday, despite expectations that he was set to get his first action of the preseason.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that the staff changed gears after Stafford didn’t feel “good enough” entering the day.
“We’re going to be flexible and fluid,” McVay said, via the team’s official website.
Stafford has sat out training camp practices with an aggravated disc in his back. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported last week that the veteran quarterback has received epidurals to aid in managing the injury.
McVay told reporters Saturday after his team's preseason opener that Stafford was expected to practice on Monday after throwing an estimated 68 passes at the team's practice facility Saturday morning. Instead, the Super Bowl-winning QB was in street clothes and seen entering a "restorative and rejuvenation" mobile vehicle parked near the Rams’ facility, per the L.A. Times.
McVay told reporters the vehicle is a red-light therapy chamber.
He reiterated on Monday that the club will take things one day at a time with Stafford. The coach added that surgery wasn’t considered.
“There's been a lot of conversations about what's the best method of how we want to approach it. That hasn't been something that comes up,” McVay said, per ESPN.com.
The Rams have downplayed Stafford’s back issue, suggesting he’ll be fine. The starter is still expected to be ready for Week 1 on Sept. 7, but the more the 17-year veteran misses and the more setbacks occur, the greater the concern for the reigning NFC West champs.