On Sunday, just before halftime, his right thumb hit the helmet of a defender on an ill-fated two-point conversion pass. He led the Rams on a scoring drive to start the third quarter, but aggravated the injury when he caught a two-point conversion pass and came down hard on the turf.
Stafford left the sideline for tests in the locker room and returned with his right hand taped. But he was replaced by Brett Rypien as the Rams suffered their worst defeat of the season.
Stafford was not made available to reporters after the game.
But nonverbal communication told the story: He required assistance to zip his travel bag.
Coach Sean McVay said he did not have enough information to make a definitive statement about the condition of Stafford’s thumb.
“Do they have an idea?” McVay said of the team’s medical personnel. “I think they have an idea, but it’s nothing for certain, so I don’t want to speak out of turn.
Neither did Rams players when asked what it would mean to move ahead without Stafford.
“I don’t really want to think about it right now,” receiver Cooper Kupp said, adding, “That would obviously be a very difficult thing if that’s the reality of what this is.
Here’s the reality: The Rams have been a middling team — and without Stafford they could challenge to be even worse than last season’s record-setting Super Bowl hangover team.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, and the potential loss of Stafford probably only solidified the Rams plan to stand pat heading into next Sunday’s game at Green Bay, their final game before an off week.
The Texas-raised Stafford was aiming for better homecoming in his first game at AT&T Stadium since he led the Rams to a Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 season.
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