The Rams have assembled one of the NFL’s most talented rosters. After adding stars such as Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie this offseason, Super Bowl expectations are sky-high.
Yet beneath all the excitement sits the same question that nearly derailed the Rams a year ago: Matthew Stafford’s back, although this year they don’t have a trusted backup waiting in the wings.
In a recent training camp notebook for The Athletic, Rams reporter Nate Atkins noted that Stafford missed two of the three open offseason practices while managing what Atkins described in an earlier article as a “degenerative back issue.”
That alone wouldn’t be particularly alarming if not for what nearly happened last season.
According to Atkins, Stetson Bennett took first-team backup reps during Stafford’s absence, while rookie Ty Simpson continued his development. Neither quarterback separated himself during the limited practice sessions.
Per Atkins, Bennett was intercepted on a lazy out route picked off by McDuffie, while Simpson missed on several deeper throws.
“It’s just not as simple as it was with Jimmy Garoppolo,” Atkins wrote, referencing the veteran backup who started 63 NFL games before spending the past two seasons behind Stafford.
That reality matters because the Rams came dangerously close to losing Stafford before the 2025 season began.
Coach Sean McVay revealed this offseason that he and Stafford seriously discussed placing the QB on injured reserve during training camp after his back failed to respond to treatment.
“What people don’t realize is how close — [Stafford] and I sat down — and I was like, ‘Hey, this isn’t responding the way we had hoped,’” McVay said during his appearance on “Bussin with the Boys.” “‘Let’s put you on temporary IR so we don’t put this, where we feel like this anxiety of having to hit a timeline to be ready to go.’”
Stafford eventually found a recovery method that his body responded to, returned to practice, won NFL MVP honors and led the Rams to the NFC Championship game.
But the scare never fully disappeared.
As ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently pointed out, back injuries rarely improve with age. Stafford is now 38 years old and entering his 18th NFL season. While he played every game last year, the underlying condition remains something the organization must constantly monitor.
The Rams could live with that risk if they still had Garoppolo waiting in the wings. Instead, LA enters training camp with a backup competition between Bennett and Simpson, neither of whom has proven capable of winning meaningful NFL games.
That’s what makes Stafford’s health the defining storyline of the Rams’ 2026 season.
The Rams have built a championship-caliber roster around their veteran quarterback. But if Stafford misses significant time, LA would be forced to turn to one of two unproven options. Who will be the backup is still undecided, given the rotation during spring practices.
For all the attention Garrett, McDuffie and the Rams’ loaded roster have received this offseason, the path to a Super Bowl may ultimately come down to the same thing it did a year ago: keeping Stafford healthy.