Source: Rams QB Matthew Stafford had ‘minor’ offseason procedure on throwing hand
By Jourdan Rodrigue Apr 1, 2021
13
New
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford had a procedure on the thumb of his throwing hand last month, a source confirmed to
The Athletic. The source characterized the nature of that procedure as elective by Stafford and “minor.”
Stafford, 33, was seen in an Instagram story video posted by Kelly Stafford, his wife, wearing a small brace around his right thumb while on a flight with their family on Thursday afternoon.
The Athletic confirmed the nature of the procedure after viewing the post.
The source said the procedure, which happened in the second week of March, was a “simple cleanup,” adding that Stafford is not expected to miss any part of spring workouts when they open up and that he’s expected to be at “100 percent” when team activities begin later this month.
The NFL informed teams this week that “phase one” of spring workouts, in which players can gather in small groups at team facilities, can begin on April 19.
Stafford, who is right-handed, suffered a thumb injury during the 2020 season that the NFL Network reported as “ligament damage” at the time. In February, Stafford told the
Detroit Free Press that he had suffered a partially torn UCL in his right thumb. (The X-rays of the injury, suffered in November, came back negative for fractures or breaks, Stafford said at the time.)
In his exit interview with the Free Press after the January
trade agreement between the Lions and the Rams that sent quarterback Jared Goff, a 2021 third-round pick and two first-round picks in 2022-23 to Detroit in exchange for Stafford, the veteran quarterback said he had actually suffered a slew of injuries in his last season with the Lions.
Matthew Stafford (Kelly Stafford / Instagram)
“I had the partially torn UCL in my right thumb. I tore my UCL on my left elbow on the second-to-last play of the Houston game that nobody knew about, trying to stiff-arm a guy,” he
told the newspaper. “That’s why I started wearing a sleeve on my left arm, because I had all sorts of tape underneath it, just to hold it in place. I broke my cartilage on my eighth rib in Green Bay. I also tore something (in the back of) my left knee. And then I had a subtalar right ankle sprain.”
In his first interview with Los Angeles media in March, Stafford was asked about his
history of playing through injuries over the span of his 12-year career.
“I think more than anything, just a respect for the game, a respect for my teammates,” he said. “The quarterback probably gets a lot of attention when it comes to those things, but there’s guys up front blocking for me or playing defensive line or linebacker, whatever it is — guys all over the field are battling through things that a lot of times don’t get talked about.
“So, I just walk through that locker room Mondays after games and see guys beat up and know that they’re going to be out there on Sunday — and if they’re going to be out there, I sure want them to know that I’m going to be out there as well. As far as getting out there and making sure I’m ready to play, I’ll do everything I possibly can.”
Trading for Stafford was the biggest — and boldest — move the Rams made in free agency this offseason, after drafting Goff first overall in 2016, then changing directions with their franchise quarterback just a year and a half removed from his contract extension. While neither head coach Sean McVay nor general manager Les Snead have said it outright, it’s clear the move comes with Super Bowl aspirations.
“I don’t care what team you’re playing for; your job is to try and get that team to the Super Bowl,” said Stafford. “Obviously, didn’t get it done in the first 12 years of my career. I’ve got a new opportunity to come out here and give it a shot. I’m going to do everything I possibly can. … That’s what I expect out of those guys; I know they’ll expect it out of me.
“So, I’m excited to get that opportunity, and sometimes feeling that pressure is a positive thing — I love that. I want to be playing in those big games and in those big moments. So, for me, it’s an opportunity more than anything.”
(Photo of Matthew Stafford: Los Angeles Rams)
