Matthew Stafford Unlikely To Play Against Packers, Rams Preparing To Start Brett Rypien

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that while the team has not ruled out QB Matthew Stafford for Sunday’s game against the Packers, the Rams are preparing to start Brett Rypien. 

Rapoport adds that “unless Stafford (UCL sprain) surprises everyone and wakes up feeling ready, it’ll be Rypien.”

Rypien has reportedly received all of the Rams’ first-team reps in practice this week. 

Adam Schefter has a similar report saying that Stafford is “unlikely” to suit up in Week 9, but the Rams plan to give him as much time as possible to make a final decision.

Schefter says that Stafford does want to play and has made some progress from the right thumb injury he’s dealing with, but it’s going to be “highly challenging” for him to suit up. 

Another consideration is that the Rams are on bye next week, so this would allow Stafford to have an extended period of rest to get closer to being healthy before returning to the lineup. 

Stafford, 35, is a former first-round pick of the Lions back in 2009. He was in the final year of his five-year, $76.5 million contract when he and the Lions agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension back in 2017.

Stafford was involved in a blockbuster trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for QB Jared Goff and draft picks in 2021. He signed a four-year extension worth $160 million that includes $135 million guaranteed last March. 

He’s due base salaries of $1.5 million and $31 million over the next two seasons. 

In 2023, Stafford has appeared in eight games for the Rams and completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 2,070 yards, 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.