LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford has been a part of seasons like this in the past. Ones in which seemingly every day a new name is added to the injury report. When bad breaks go against a team and losses pile up.
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“I think that’s when my role becomes even more important,” the veteran quarterback said, “as a leader, as somebody that can try to help steady the ship for us and make sure that I’m doing my part to do everything I can to help us win football games becomes even more important.”
Wednesday was as good of an example of what the Rams have endured through their 2-4 start to the season. Linebacker Nate Landman was revealed to be in concussion protocol, putting his status for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) in doubt. Cornerback Trent McDuffie (groin) did not practice on Wednesday either as he remains day to day.
Those were piled on top of Monday’s list of injuries. Defensive tackle Poona Ford and kicker Blake Grupe are out for the season. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner is on injured reserve. Wide receiver Davante Adams is out 6-10 weeks.
Adams, who a year ago led the NFL in touchdown catches, will require surgery on his ruptured hamstring. Head coach Sean McVay clarified that it will be more of a cleanup procedure for the 33-year-old, not to repair the damaged semitendinosus.
“Just disappointed for him. I know how hard he works to keep his body feeling as good as it can and how hard he works to be out there for us and when he’s not able to do that, how that tears him up,” Stafford said. “And obviously the production is the production.”
The Rams have been left with voids at receiver and defensive line, positions that seemed to be among the roster’s most talented entering the year. After a summer of Super Bowl expectations, the question instead now is can this team get back on track enough to make a playoff run?
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And can Stafford himself look more like the player that won his first NFL MVP award a year ago? Because as teams have started to blitz him more frequently and the Rams’ play-action game has become less effective, it’s been clear that Stafford has been bothered by the increased pressure with six interceptions in six games compared to eight in 17 in 2025.
To those players that are wondering where things will stand when they finally return from their injury rehab, Stafford feels he has a duty.
“I just feel even more responsibility to be as good as I can be to help us to continue to win,” Stafford said, “and in some of those guys’ instances where they’re going to have opportunities to hopefully come back and play for us, make sure that when they come back and play for us, it’s meaningful.”
It’s not the way Stafford usually talks about leadership. Typically, he prefers to talk about himself as one of 53 players on a roster instead of publicly acknowledging the weighty responsibility that all 32 starting quarterbacks in the league must shoulder.
And Stafford says he won’t step outside of his usual leadership style. But he still feels like he can be more for his team.
“Just how steady can I be, how good can I be,” Stafford said. “Sometimes it’s having a conversation with a guy. Other times it’s checking a ball down and not forcing one. Whatever it is, I’m just going to try to do my part as everybody is. Look themselves in the mirror, ‘Hey, how can I be better to help our team?’ And if I can lead the way doing that, whether that’s how I go through my walk through, how I go through practice, all that, I just want to lead the way for those guys.”
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