Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay says that opposing teams questioned the legitimacy of Matthew Stafford's back injury last offseason.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed that opposing teams questioned the legitimacy of Matthew Stafford's back injury last offseason.
In a recent appearance on the ProFootballTalk Live on Monday with Mike Florio and Chris Simms, McVay shared that some teams thought Stafford and the Rams faked the injury.
"Going through the back thing, a lot of people think we faked that to give him off in training camp," McVay said. "We played teams and games – we were playing the Jags in London and he said a couple of the coaches came up and said, 'Man, what a cool deal, Sean let you have off of training camp with the back thing.' And he’s like, 'Man, what the hell you talking about?! That s--- was real, man!'"
Last offseason, Stafford missed all of training camp dealing with severe back pain. The then 37-year-old quarterback dealt with a persistent, aggravated, likely herniated disc in his back during the 2025 offseason.
Stafford sat out most of training camp while dealing with pain in his lumbar region. The 2025 MVP underwent epidural injections to help manage the discomfort and inflammation, and was also seen using a therapeutic, hyperbaric-style back chamber as part of his recovery process.
There were some serious concerns regarding Stafford and his status for Week 1 when the Rams were set to play the Houston Texans. Heading into the contest, Stafford was a full participant in practice during the week.
In that contest, Stafford came out firing. The veteran quarterback threw for 245 yards and a touchdown. The Rams' defense did its job, and Stafford and the offense did enough to start the season on the right foot.
Prior to the contest, Stafford addressed his back injury. The 38-year-old acknowledged that back injuries can be unpredictable. He also credited the Rams coaching staff for taking a cautious, day-to-day approach and for doing everything they could to support his recovery.
Stafford ended up having the best season of his career. In 17 games (along with 17 starts), the Texas native recorded 388 completions on 597 passing attempts, completed 65 percent of his throws, threw for 4,707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 109.2 passer rating, and a 71.2 QBR.
It may be early in the offseason, but as things stand, Stafford will be ready for this year's training camp. No matter what happens in the draft, all signs point to the former Georgia Bulldog being the Rams QB1 for 2026.
Stafford will enter his sixth season with the Rams and his 18th in the NFL.