Latest Matthew Stafford status leaves LA Rams scrambling for an instant solution

The LA Rams seem to be snakebitten this offseason. After all, this is a team whose front office carefully constructed enough roster depth to place this team in solid standing not only for this season, but for several years going forward. But the way things have turned out, well . . . let me explain a bit first.

The Rams seemed to have solid depth at cornerback. But a season-ending injury to rotational contributor Derion Kendrick, followed by a hamstring injury to veteran cornerback Darious Williams, forced the team to sign former Detroit Lions defensive back Jerry Jacobs. There was simply insufficient depth at the cornerback position for multiple injuries to occur simultaneously during training camp.

When the LA Rams starting offensive linemen Alaric Jackson (ankle), Jonah Jackson (shoulder), and Rob Havenstein (ankle) were injured and placed on a week-to-week status, the team acted quickly to sign free agent offensive linemen Aled Lindstrom, Conor McDermott, and Matt Kaskey. Once again, the depth was not adequate to handle 3 simultaneous injuries to starters during training camp.

Now the Rams are in a real pickle. The team had a mixed performance from young backup quarterback Stetson Bennett, the type of game that Coach McVay had a lot to talk about. The team entered the 2024 NFL season knowing that veteran backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will face a two-game suspension as soon as the 2024 NFL season starts.

While the numbers seem adequate on paper, there is a bit of a logjam in Weeks 1 and 2 of the regular season. Only two quarterbacks are options for those two games. Stetson Bennett may not be ready to be the team's backup quarterback by then.

And today, starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was sidelined for most of the second half of joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys due to hamstring tightness, as per LA Times beat reports Gary Klein. Week 1 starts in less than a month.

The Rams seem to be painted into a corner right now. Jimmy Garoppolo does not become an option for this team until Week 3 at the earliest. And based on Stetson Bennet's first preseason game performance, some want him gone as soon as possible.

The problem is that Stafford's hamstring tightness can resolve itself in a few days, or if a strain, recovery can take as long as three to eight weeks. Based on the description of tightness versus strain, let's hope for a quick recovery timeframe.

There are several variables to weigh in what the team does next. There is the health of Matthew Stafford himself. And then there is how well backup quarterback Stetson Bennett performs in his next preseason game. If Bennett can control the offense comfortably, and secure the football, this could be the opportunity to recharge his standing with the team.

Of course, there is always reserve quarterback Dresser Winn. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

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