Rams should warm up QBs Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett in the bullpen

Stafford has had a challenging NFL career

Don't overreact to what I'm suggesting here.

If the lack of production from Matthew Stafford this season is due to the absence of Cooper Kupp and or Puka Nacua, then it will self correct rather quickly when the pair returns. The question of Cooper Kupp's return for Week 8 seems to have already been decided.

But what about the other scenarios? What if Stafford is injured, but nobody is talking about it? Or the even gloomier scenario: What if Stafford's age is finally starting to take its toll?

We know that players step away from the game. No, not just to clear their heads for a season. We know that All-Pro DT Aaron Donald retired with plenty of gas left in his tank to compete. But, he was satiated. But stepping away is not just about the desire to compete. Sometimes, that decision is made for other reasons.

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady retired at 44 years old. But he was the exception, not the new rule. NFL players' careers are enduring far longer than previous generations. Some cause is due to advances in nutrition, other reasons include advances in sports medicine. But most likely, the NFL and NFLPA changed the rules of the game to protect players.

Despite these changes, Staffords career has been a testimony to his tough-guy durability. He threw a game winning touchdown pass despite suffering from a separated shoulder. And that is simply the typical example of the guy who would give his all on the football field. And now, that history of bumps, bruises, or even his spinal cord bruise, has surely taken a toll on him by this point in his career.