Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's achy right elbow reportedly required offseason surgery.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Stafford had a procedure done to deal with the pain he experienced throughout last season and help him prepare for this season.

Schefter noted Stafford "is now said to feel better today than he did at this time last year" as the Rams begin defense of their Super Bowl title Thursday against the Buffalo Bills.

Stafford dealt with an elbow injury throughout the offseason, preventing him from throwing until the spring. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network later reported the veteran was dealing with "bad tendinitis."

The 34-year-old has dealt with a variety of ailments during his career and especially in recent years, but he played every possible game in 10 of his last 11 seasons entering 2022. The only exception came in 2019 when a back issue limited him to eight games as the Detroit Lions finished 3-12-1.

Last season, Stafford tallied 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns against 17 interceptions in his first season with L.A. Had he not been ready for Week 1 this season, the inexperienced John Wolford would have been the next man up at quarterback.

Los Angeles Rams star Jalen Ramsey will be active in his team's season-opener against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

"He's feeling good," Rams coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday. "He sure looks good out here, and so he’s feeling good and he’s going to be ready to roll on the 8th."

Ramsey began 2022 training camp on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing offseason surgery on both of his shoulders. He didn't return to fully practicing until early August.

The 27-year-old played the entire 2021 season with tears in both shoulders and only missed one game because of COVID-19. He posted four interceptions, 16 passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 77 tackles in 16 games.

Ramsey has been a key piece of the L.A. secondary since coming over in a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2019 season. He has been mostly durable, too, appearing in at least 15 games in five of his six NFL seasons.

If Ramsey misses any time this year, the Rams can turn to Derion Kendrick and Robert Rochell at cornerback.

Aaron Donald is accustomed to going after the quarterback as a pass-rusher during games, but the Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman went after members of the Cincinnati Bengals a different way during Thursday's joint practice.

Donald was seen swinging a Bengals helmet at players during a brawl that broke out at the practice.

Football insider Warren Sharp shared video of the scene:

keep ya head on a swivel 👀 pic.twitter.com/Oywc3Dt52k

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 25, 2022

Cincinnati and Los Angeles faced each other in the Super Bowl, and it was Donald's pressure on Joe Burrow on a fourth down late in the game that all but clinched the championship for the Rams.

They also play each other in Saturday's preseason contest, and Thursday's brawl could lend some additional energy to a game that otherwise may have been rather lethargic with the teams looking ahead to the regular season.

According to USA Today, the brawl was the practice's third bust-up and they all involved Rams defenders and Bengals offensive tackle La'el Collins.

Images of Donald swinging a helmet immediately brought to mind Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett doing something similar to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph during the 2019 season:

A reminder: Myles Garrett was indefinitely suspended by the NFL following his helmet-swinging incident. Garrett missed the final six games of the 2019 season before the NFL reinstated him in February 2020.

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) August 25, 2022

Can’t wait to see how the league handles this Aaron Donald situation. The Myles Garrett situation was similar, just didn’t happen in a preseason practice. Egregious on both counts. https://t.co/ZhGSfRthLA

— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) August 25, 2022

Myles Garrett missed the final 6 games of the 2019 season as part of an indefinite suspension for swinging a helmet during a game. The NFL has not been in the business of policing joint practices the way they do games, but that's the only difference from Aaron Donald today.

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) August 25, 2022

While Garrett was suspended, Donald may avoid such a punishment. After all, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted the NFL usually allows teams to enforce discipline if an incident occurs during practice.

"I don't know exactly what instigated it," Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters. "I think in some instances teams defending each other. Fortunately, my understanding is nobody got hurt and we'll move on from it. Not going to make a bigger deal than what it is. Not going to look at pointing fingers."

Any type of suspension for Donald would be a difficult blow for the Rams considering he is arguably the best player in the NFL.

They also start their regular season in a potential Super Bowl preview matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8.

Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers has missed practice recently, but it appears to be a precautionary move.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday that the soft-tissue injury Akers is dealing with is "not considered serious." Fowler added that the Rams are "taking preventative measures by holding him out of preseason practices but that's the extent of it."

The third-year running back missed the first 16 games of last season because of an Achilles tear suffered during the offseason. Akers worked to make an improbable comeback and was designated to return from injured reserve Dec. 23.

Darrell Henderson Jr. is expected to handle the running back duties with Akers out of the lineup. However, Henderson is also dealing with a soft-tissue injury. Rams head coach Sean McVay said he didn't want to put a timetable on the recovery for either running back.

"[With] soft-tissue things, it's always a difficult thing because you don't want to ever push somebody," McVay said Monday. "And that's where they've got to do a good job of communicating to us. ... And so the first goal for those guys is let's check the box on them feeling like they can really open up, no restrictions. I don't know if you ever really feel great at any point moving forward, especially at running back, but we want to be smart with that."

Akers rushed for 625 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.

John Madden’s greatness in the annals of professional football is unmatched. That’s why there’s a widely popular and iconic video game that uses his name.

So when the NFL Hall of Fame coach and broadcasting legend died at the age of 85 in December, it was only right that he be chosen to grace the cover of Madden NFL 23 from EA Sports.

Normally, there would be another personality to share the cover of the game, but in this case, Madden stands alone.

One of the most talked about innovations arriving on the August 19 release date is the Face of the Franchise feature. It updates the created player storyline, fast-forwarding to the player's fifth year in the NFL instead of enduring the prologue of high school and college.

"There was a lot of feedback about the prologue, or Road to the Draft, whatever you want to call it," gameplay producer Clint Oldenburg said during an interview, per Owen S. Good at Polygon. "It was like, ‘I want to go play in the NFL; get me there.’ And, this is a big headline, ‘The narrative feels aimless and pointless and lacking context,’ something like that. That was in one of the reviews."

With no college or draft storylines, players can get to The League and start at the end of their player's rookie contract, so they can sign a one-year deal with their team of choice and begin playing their career-defining season.

Another major update is FieldSENSE, which equips players with more control at every position in every mode. It also sets the foundation for what the game's creators are calling "ultra-realistic" gameplay driven by physics-driven outcomes on the field.

Outside of the changes in the mechanics of the game, there's the updated list of players in the coveted "99 Club."

𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 😤

Aaron Donald is in the 99 Club for the 6th straight year 💪#Madden23 | @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/miC7IIdtAL

— ESPN (@espn) July 21, 2022

This year, there are only four players in the club, with only two holdovers from Madden 22: Davante Adams (now with the Las Vegas Raiders) and Aaron Donald, who recently helped the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium:

Aaron Donald, DL, Los Angeles Rams

Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Myles Garrett, RE, Cleveland Browns

Trent Williams, LT, San Francisco 49ers

Madden welcomes Davante Adams back into the 99 club for the second straight year 🔥 @brgridiron

He becomes the first Raiders WR to do so since Randy Moss in '06 pic.twitter.com/cHAoDLdbzp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 18, 2022

Gone from last year's list are Travis Kelce (TE, Kansas City Chiefs), Patrick Mahomes (QB, Kansas City Chiefs) and Jalen Ramsey (CB, Los Angeles Rams).

Kelce and Ramsey only took a slight hit, both dropping to 98, while Mahomes dipped quite a bit to 95, which may be the result of losing his top target, Tyreek Hill, to the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

Grammy award winning artist is in the booth#Madden23 sounds created by @Hit_Boy pic.twitter.com/DEBlWuzwQo

— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) August 16, 2022

Another bonus to Madden 23 is the music, with a litany of songs produced by Grammy Award-winner Hit-Boy.

All told, Madden 23 will feature multiple game modes that will draw in new players and appease loyalists.

By the end of this week, players will be able to take this celebrated game for a test drive and see if it lives up to the hype.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed to reporters Tuesday that he signed a contract extension this offseason to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

Sean McVay said he signed a contract extension this offseason. He said the Rams are still working on GM Les Snead’s deal.

— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) August 9, 2022

McVay said the Rams will announce his extension when they complete a deal with general manager Les Snead.

McVay coached the Rams to a win in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, their first championship since 1999. It was the team's second Super Bowl appearance in five seasons under McVay. His previous contract was set to end after 2023.

There had been some speculation that McVay was interested in transitioning from coaching to a broadcasting career. But McVay told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Feb. 25 that he was not pursuing any television opportunities and was committed to helping the Rams defend their title.

McVay's new contract didn't come together quickly, but he didn't complain. At the start of training camp, he told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times "we're in a good place" when asked about negotiations between him and the Rams. McVay noted that he felt an extension was "more than likely" to happen before the start of the regular season.

At 36 years old, McVay has established himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL in a short amount of time. He was named the NFL Coach of the Year in his first season in 2017. McVay coached Los Angeles to postseason appearances in four of his five seasons. He has a career record of 55-26 in the regular season and 7-3 in the playoffs.

McVay started his coaching career as an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008. He joined the Washington organization two years later in the same position and began his rise on the coaching ladder, serving as the team's tight ends coach before becoming offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016.

Though this extension locks him in for a few more years, McVay knows his time as head coach will not last forever. In the week leading up to the Super Bowl, he expressed a desire to start a family and spend time with them.

"I know I love football, and I'm so invested in this thing, and I'm in the moment right now," he said in February, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "But at some point, too, if you said what do you want to be able to do? I want to be able to have a family, and I want to be able to spend time with them."

With McVay in the fold for the next few years, Los Angeles will remain one of the most competitive teams in the league.

The New England Patriots scored just 13 points even with the all-time great Tom Brady under center during Super Bowl LIII but still managed to defeat the Los Angeles Rams by double digits.

How?

A defensive masterpiece by head coach Bill Belichick.

On the other side of that was Rams head coach Sean McVay, who told Seth Wickersham of ESPN he believed he coached the game "like an amateur ... so in over my head." The Rams scored just a single field goal, with Jared Goff throwing an interception and being sacked four times and Todd Gurley posting just 35 yards on 10 carries.

McVay notably swore something like that wouldn't happen again, and he is now on top of the football world as a defending champion after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

The Rams are once again in Super-Bowl-or-bust entering the 2022 campaign with McVay leading a group that includes Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp.

Another Lombardi Trophy would surely help him erase painful memories of his "amateur" performance against Belichick.

Matthew Stafford's right elbow is becoming a bigger concern with each passing day.

A little offseason fatigue is one thing, especially after a Super Bowl run. A team structuring its practice schedule around what its franchise quarterback can and cannot do is something entirely different, though.

"I felt like I could make any throw I wanted to, but I’m just trying to be smart," Stafford told NBC Sports' Peter King on Saturday.

The ability to threaten every blade of grass on the field is what made Stafford such an attractive acquisition for the Los Angeles Rams last offseason.

Former Rams quarterback Jared Goff operated within the confines of head coach Sean McVay's offense. He was good enough to help the team reach Super Bowl LIII, but he lacked the ability to expand the playbook.

Unlike Goff, Stafford entered the league with elite arm talent. The ball exploded out of his hand. Stafford also showed throughout his career that he could change arm angles and do things a little bit differently than everyone else at the time.

Unfortunately, Stafford became a victim of circumstances. He had three different head coaches (not including interim coaches) and four different offensive coordinators during his 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions. The Lions finished 79-112-1 during that stretch, though Stafford helped reach them playoffs on three different occasions.

Stafford had eight 4,000-yard passing seasons during his 12 years in Detroit. The Rams were downright giddy to land a passer of his caliber last offseason.

"There is a lot of love in the air and it’s because he thinks he’s getting a top quarterback," NFL Network's Peter Schrager reported last February, before the trade even became official. "There is a lot of love in the air and it’s because he thinks he’s getting a top quarterback. McVay has gone back and watched just about every pass Stafford has thrown in the past few years and I can tell you after speaking with him, saying on the record, he is giddy to get excited–cannot wait. ... But I believe Sean McVay and that Rams offensive coaching staff feels they can run their offense in its ideal form–the way it was meant to be run with Matthew Stafford at the quarterback position."

A month later, McVay described the Stafford as an "elite thrower of the football" and "a leader on and off of the field."

His excitement was even more palpable during an April interview on The Rich Eisen Show.

“When you’re really playing that position, when you’re asked to get through progressions, recognize, read, solve problems protection wise, you’re seeing him do a lot of those things," McVay explained. "And to be able to work together, to collaborate, I’m really excited about that collaboration because he’s got a lot of good film and a lot of exposure to different systems that ultimately, you’ll see us bring into our arsenal because it starts with the quarterback always in everything we do."

Once the coaching staff began working with Stafford, a sense of jubilation enveloped the organization.

"Bro, this dude’s a bad MF-er,” McVay told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer in June. “Whatever people say about him, as good as it can be, he’s even better than advertised. It makes sense to him. The guy’s ability to see the game, his ability to draw on his experiences, the feel that he has, it’s pretty special and unique. And man, his feel for people, his authentic way of connecting with his teammates, his coaches, this guy, it’s great being around him."

One year later, Stafford is now suffering from what NFL Network's Ian Rapoport described as "thrower's elbow," which is normally reserved for baseball pitchers. McVay stopped short of calling Stafford's injury tendinitis, but he did tell reporters last week that "it's a tricky deal" and "abnormal for a quarterback."

The issue continues to linger even though Stafford received an anti-inflammatory shot in March, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue.

"Really when we look at it, we've got five weeks until Sept. 8," McVay said last week. "He's still feeling a little bit of pain; he could push through it. ... We felt like the smart thing was let's really just take it a week at a time. He ended up getting about 40 to 50 throws in individual. We didn't take part in the team activities, and that's really more a result of he's got so much experience."

Although Stafford is an experienced quarterback coming off a Super Bowl-winning season, he's missing valuable reps during team sessions and not getting in as many throws with his wide receivers. The Rams aren't in the same position that they were a year ago.

Allen Robinson II replaced Robert Woods at wide receiver. Left tackle and right guard are going through a transition after Andrew Whitworth retired and Austin Corbett left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Third-year running back Cam Akers is now healthy, which he wasn't during last year's training camp.

Robinson's acclimation might be the most important aspect of what's potentially missing right now. Much like Stafford last season, the 28-year-old target creates more flexibility within the Rams' offensive scheme.

"The staff here is in love with Robinson," Robert Mays of The Athletic reported in late July. "From his approach in meetings to what he can give them in this offense. His route tree and where he can line up are more varied than they’d even hoped."

Robinson is at his best when he's working down the field along the sidelines. He gives the Rams a true X-receiver to go with Cooper Kupp in the slot and the recovering Van Jefferson, who underwent a minor knee surgery last week, per Stu Jackson of the Rams official site.

Stafford has continued to throw during individual sessions and supposedly looks good when doing so. Problems could arise if the elbow soreness lingers, though.

Between the regular season and the playoffs, Stafford attempted a career-high 741 passes last season. His elbow issue could limit how far he can drive the ball down the field, which would affect some of the routes that the Rams receivers run. Robinson could need extra time to get on the same page with Stafford, too.

The Rams are making Stafford's health a priority during training cap and the preseason, which they should. But McVay even admitted that they're trying to make sure he's ready for Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. That isn't guaranteed at this point.

Stafford has played through pain during portions of his career. His throwing elbow is a little different, though, especially since he's now in his mid-30s. Inflammation and fatigue could lead to further injury if not properly handled.

As the Boulder Centre for Orthopedics & Spine stated, "The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is the most commonly injured ligament in throwers. Injuries of the UCL can range from minor damage and inflammation to a complete tear of the ligament. Athletes will have pain on the inside of the elbow, and frequently notice decreased throwing velocity."

The Rams haven't revealed the exact nature of Stafford's injury. The mention of it being along the lines of baseball pitchers, coupled with the sheer velocity and distances Stafford throws, makes it difficult not to speculate about something more severe.

Maintenance may be necessary over the next few months until Stafford can properly rest his elbow. By doing what's best for Stafford, though, the Rams may be hurting their chances to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

The Rams must walk a fine line to get the most out of this year's squad. They're still among the most talented teams in the entire league, but Stafford is a difference-maker.

If last season taught us anything, the Rams' success largely hinges on what Stafford is capable of doing. He might not be as capable this season as he was last year.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent, but it does not appear the three-time Pro Bowler is in a rush to decide on his next team.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported nothing is "imminent" despite Beckham receiving interest from several contenders.

From Inside Training Camp: The #Rams have stayed in contact with FA WR Odell Beckham Jr, but what’s next? Me and Tom Pelissero discuss… pic.twitter.com/JMYMJRMVFU

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 7, 2022

Beckham is not expected to be available early in the season as he recovers from an ACL tear suffered during Super Bowl LVI.

The Los Angeles Rams are expected to pursue bringing Beckham back and may have a bit more urgency with Van Jefferson dealing with a knee injury of his own. Jefferson is expected to miss multiple weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee last week, though his injury was far less severe than Beckham's.

Rapoport also mentioned the Green Bay Packers as a potential fit. Beckham considered Green Bay before winding up with the Rams last season following his unceremonious exit from Cleveland.

Once one of the NFL's most prolific receivers, Beckham has not made a Pro Bowl since 2016 and clearly lacked elite-level burst after tearing his ACL for the first time in 2020. Beckham reeled in 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games with the Rams, eclipsing any single-season TD total he had with the Browns.

Before his disappointing ending to last season, it appeared Beckham was finally finding his way back to prominence in the postseason. He had 21 catches for 288 yards and two scores during the Rams' Super Bowl run, including a touchdown against the Bengals in the Super Bowl.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay downplayed Stafford's right elbow injury in a chat with reporters at training camp Saturday.

"I don't know if you guys were watching, I felt like I could make any throw I wanted to today," Stafford said, per Coral Smith of NFL.com. "I'm just trying to be smart when I get those opportunities to make sure I can come out here, cut it loose, turn it loose like I did today and go from there."

Sean McVay said the way Matthew Stafford threw today during practice, "I don’t think you would know that anything was going on."

"I know that I’m going to sleep better tonight."

— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) August 6, 2022

"He threw it all over the yard today, looked really good, felt good. We're very much on track with what we had hoped and I think you could really see," McVay said, per Smith. "The ball was jumping out of his hand, making all types of throws, and so I think he was trying to show you guys that there's probably not many questions you can ask him either based on how he felt in the way he was throwing it around today."

Stafford is experiencing "bad tendinitis" in his elbow, per a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

From Inside Training Camp: #Rams QB Matthew Stafford is dealing with a tendon issue in his throwing elbow that’ll limit his throwing in practice. pic.twitter.com/VDSOswmsDI

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2022

Stafford dealt with a host of injuries last year, including arm, elbow, ankle and back ailments, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini.

The 34-year-old played through the pain and ended up leading the Rams to their second-ever Lombardi Trophy.

McVay sounded more optimistic Saturday than he did Friday when he expressed the complexity of the elbow issue.

Team explored a few treatments this offseason with the intent to largely alleviate pain, but “this isn’t something that we’re totally caught off guard with” coming into camp. “Could he (push through)? Yes. Is that the best thing? We didn’t think so.”

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) August 4, 2022

Stafford had an anti-inflammatory injection in his arm last spring, and he didn't participate in offseason team activities because of the issue.

The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue also noted that Stafford wasn't expected to participate in team drills until after the Rams returned from their training camp at UC Irvine back home to their Thousand Oaks, California practice facility. L.A. wraps up training camp Wednesday in Irvine.

Stafford played all 21 games (17 regular-season, four playoff) for the Rams last season. He completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 41 touchdowns (17 interceptions) and 4,886 passing yards. Stafford's excellent rapport with wideout Cooper Kupp served as the catalyst for the Rams offense improving from 22nd to seventh in scoring in 2021.

As of now, it appears the Rams are trying to manage an ongoing issue. The regular season is also a full month away as L.A. is set to open things up against the Buffalo Bills at home Sept. 8.

However, if Stafford has to miss time this season for any ailment, then L.A. will turn toward backup John Woolford.

The three-year pro out of Wake Forest has played one full game in his career when he suited up for an injured Jared Goff to close the 2020 regular season. Woolford completed 22 of 38 passes for 231 yards (one interception) and rushed six times for 56 yards to lead L.A. to a 18-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Signal-callers Bryce Perkins and Luis Perez are also on the Rams roster at this time.