Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is dealing with "abnormal" elbow pain in his throwing arm, and the ailment is cause for at least some concern, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport.

"This is not nothing," Rapoport said Friday on The Pat McAfee Show. "You know, it's a quarterback. It is an arm and, I mean look, it's a Super Bowl champion who is not throwing. There's going to be several practices where he's not going to throw. It was described to me as thrower's elbow, which is basically a pitcher injury where you have a tendon issue in your elbow and you have to kind of manage it.

"... I think they're going to manage it and be OK. But any time your quarterback is not throwing, it is important and something worth watching."

Rapoport's comments come after he reported Thursday that Stafford's injury was considered to be "bad tendinitis" and that "everyone in L.A. thinks this is going to be fine."

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters this week that Stafford was dealing with pain that is "a little abnormal for a quarterback," according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. He added that the team knew they were going to take a "modified approach" with the veteran signal-caller during camp:

"I think I've got a responsibility to try to make decisions that are in the best alignment using medical experts and talking with Matthew. And so all of those things combined led to where we're at right now. And it is an ever-evolving process, but we are really taking over these next couple weeks, seeing how they go."

Stafford received an anti-inflammatory injection in his right elbow this offseason, and the Rams haven't allow him to throw during OTAs or minicamp this summer.

The 34-year-old also dealt with elbow pain at times last season, with McVay saying that his current ailment is "consistent with what's been going on."

However, Stafford still put together one of his best seasons in 2021, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns against 17 interceptions to lead the Rams to a first-place finish in the NFC West for the first time since the 2018 campaign.

The former Detroit Lion also put together an impressive postseason, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions en route to a Super Bowl title.

So, even if Stafford isn't feeling 100 percent by the time the regular season starts, he still has the capability to lead the Rams on another deep playoff run.

Coming off a historic 2021 season capped off by catching the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVI, Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp has a strong argument as the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Kupp, though, apparently doesn't think of himself as one of the top five wideouts in the league. Appearing on I AM ATHLETE (starts at 2:00 mark), the 29-year-old ranked Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Ja'Marr Chase and Odell Beckham Jr. as the five best players at the position.

If you believe that where an athlete ranks himself should be ironclad and not subject to change, Kupp has opened himself up to scrutiny from people who keep track of these things.

Last month, Jefferson told reporters he is the second-best receiver in the NFL because he has to respect all that Adams has accomplished in his career.

When asked about Kupp, the Minnesota Vikings superstar said he is "good, but I'll say he's behind me."

After getting word of that assessment, Kupp told reporters he respected Jefferson's opinion "and I can also respectfully disagree."

It's hard to argue that Jefferson and Kupp aren't among the best players at their position. Jefferson has racked up 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns on 196 receptions in 33 games over his first two seasons in the NFL.

Kupp has been a solid receiver over the course of his career, but the Eastern Washington alum turned in one of the best seasons in league history last year. He won the receiving triple crown with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Per NFL.com's Grant Gordon, the only other players to record at least 100 receptions, 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season are Jerry Rice (1995), Marvin Harrison (2001) and Randy Moss (2003).

During the Rams' run to the Super Bowl, Kupp added 33 catches, 478 yards and six touchdowns in four playoff games. His final catch of the year was a one-yard touchdown that put the Rams up 23-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals with 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.

If that's not enough to make Kupp one of the five best wideouts in the league, what is?

Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald said the viral video that showed him "choking" fellow defensive lineman Elijah Garcia is a drill to simulate shutting down run lanes.

The video, which popped up on social media Monday, showed Donald putting his hand around Garcia's neck and shoving him backwards.

Aaron Donald's workouts are WILD 😭 @brgridiron

(via @NFLNetwork, H/T @JoeBeldner) https://t.co/beXKOTsaaT

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 1, 2022

He was asked about the unique practice moment by former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall for Friday's episode of I Am Athlete (1:40 mark of video below).

"It's a technique. Run scoop," Donald said. "I'm closing my 'A' gap. This is my 'B' gap [points in the opposite direction]. I'm closing that. That's the guard, I'm closing that 'A' gap. So they can't cut back, they can't cut to the 'A' gap, they gotta cut to me."

Marshall jokingly asked what was more disrespectful, that drill or one where Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry uses multiple defenders jumping toward him on their hands and knees to practice breaking low tackles.

"It ain't disrespectful. It's a technique. [Garcia's] a rookie! He's gotta pay his dues!" Donald said with a laugh.

Whatever Donald is doing to prepare himself for the constant double-teams he faces from opponents each week is working.

The 31-year-old University of Pittsburgh product is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a driving force behind the Rams' run to the Super Bowl LVI title last season.

L.A. begins its championship defense Sept. 8 when it welcomes the Buffalo Bills to SoFi Stadium for the NFL's annual Kickoff Game.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is apparently dealing with elbow pain that is more common in pitchers than signal-callers.

Head coach Sean McVay said as much, telling reporters the pain is "a little bit abnormal for a quarterback," per Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Barshop noted Stafford received an injection in the right elbow this offseason and didn't throw during spring workouts.

The Georgia product dealt with elbow pain at times last season, and McVay classified this update as "consistent with what's been going on" instead of a setback.

The coach also said the goal is to have Stafford ready for the opener against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8.

He added:

"That's kind of the perspective and the big-picture approach that we want to be able to take. I don't know that I would feel as comfortable taking that approach if it wasn't for the experience that he's accumulated and knowing how intentional he is about staying up to speed with his mental and his physical work that he can do in the absence of some of the stuff in the team settings."

This is far from Stafford's first rodeo as he enters the 14th season of his career and second with the Rams. Managing pain comes with the territory as an NFL quarterback, even if this particular pain is more common in another sport.

He handled it well last season as he led Los Angeles to the Super Bowl title in his first year away from the Detroit Lions.

Stafford completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He is expected to lead the Rams into Super Bowl contention again this season with many of the same pieces back on the roster.

Los Angeles Rams star Cooper Kupp isn't accepting the notion that Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings is the best wide receiver in the NFL.

According to NFL.com's Grant Gordon, Jefferson was asked recently to name the league's top wideout, and while he mentioned Kupp, he ultimately went with himself, saying, "Coop is good, but I'll say he's behind me."

Not surprisingly, Kupp has countered with a take of his own, and it doesn't match Jefferson's, as he said, "I respect his opinion and I can also respectfully disagree."

Kupp praised Jefferson's confidence while also suggesting that he would give himself the nod when it comes to determining the NFL's best wide receiver:

"I would hope he would say that. I think that's the beauty of this game. I think it speaks to the competitiveness of this league. If you're not putting yourself as the best and you're not working to be the best, then I'd be concerned about stepping on the field with you if you don't feel like you've prepared to be the best player that you can be."

It is difficult to argue with Kupp's assessment given that he is coming off one of the greatest seasons by a wideout in NFL history.

He led the league in receptions (145), receiving yardage (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16) en route to being named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro for the first time, plus he won the Offensive Player of the Year award and finished third in MVP voting.

Additionally, Kupp was dominant during the Rams' playoff run, racking up 33 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns in four games and winning the Super Bowl MVP award.

While Kupp was spectacular last season, Jefferson's career is off to a historic start, as his 3,016 receiving yards through his first two NFL campaigns are the most by any player in NFL history.

Last season, Jefferson finished with 108 receptions for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro nods.

Jefferson is perhaps the more dynamic player downfield, while Kupp is more versatile and able to burn defenders anywhere on the field.

The biggest difference between Kupp and Jefferson may be team success, as the Rams won the Super Bowl last season, while the Vikes haven't yet made the playoffs with Jefferson on the roster.

Regardless of how they should be ranked, all signs point toward Kupp (29 years old) and Jefferson (23) being two of the NFL's best wideouts for years to come.

The Los Angeles Rams have set up contingency plans at wide receiver given Van Jefferson's knee issues.

According to Albert Breer of The MMQB, "Jefferson's knee issues were a reason the Rams brought in Allen Robinson in March" during free agency.

But with Jefferson leaving practice Saturday and set to see a specialist for his knee, Breer wrote that "very clearly, the door's open for [Odell Beckham Jr.] to come back, with the hope that his most recent ACL surgery will bring a more positive result than the last one did. So the Rams have plenty of options at the position. They'll be fine."

Beckham, 29, thrived in his short time with the Rams last season, catching 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games while adding 21 catches for 288 yards and two scores in the playoffs.

One of those touchdowns came in the Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, though Beckham also tore his ACL in that contest, leaving him likely out of action until the midway point of the upcoming season, if not later.

But with Cooper Kupp and Robinson already in tow, the Rams could make a late-season move for Beckham yet again if Jefferson's season is in jeopardy, once Beckham is cleared to play.

The Dallas Cowboys remain the most valuable team in the NFL, with Sportico listing the franchise at $7.64 billion.

"America's Team" is also the most valuable franchise in all of North American sports, topping the New York Yankees by $630 million, as ESPN's Todd Archer observed.

The Los Angeles Rams—fresh of their Super Bowl title—have moved into second place among NFL teams with a $5.91 billion valuation. The New England Patriots dropped from second to third, while the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers round out the top five.

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Top NFL Valuations

1. Dallas Cowboys ($7.64 billion)

2. Los Angeles Rams ($5.91 billion)

3. New England Patriots ($5.88 billion)

4. New York Giants ($5.73 billion)

5. San Francisco 49ers ($5.18 billion)

6. Chicago Bears ($5 billion)

7. New York Jets ($4.8 billion)

8. Washington Commanders ($4.78 billion)

9. Philadelphia Eagles ($4.7 billion)

10. Denver Broncos ($4.65 billion)

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The Denver Broncos were the most recent NFL team to be sold, with the Walton-Penner family ownership group paying $4.65 billion—a record for North American sports.

This likely helped increase values league-wide, with the $4.1 billion average team value representing an 18 percent hike from last year. The Cowboys jumped 10 percent themselves, while the Rams are up 26 percent from 2021.

It's also clear recent on-field success isn't the only factor that determines value.

The Cowboys might have five Super Bowl titles, but they haven't reached the conference title game since after the 1995 season.

The Cincinnati Bengals reached the Super Bowl this past year, although they are the lowest-valued team in the NFL at $2.84 billion.

The NFL's dominance is still apparent in the valuations, with all 32 teams ranked among the top 50 franchises in North America, per Sportico. The Bengals are worth more than all but seven NBA teams and five MLB teams.

Los Angeles Rams wideout Van Jefferson will reportedly see a specialist regarding ongoing knee issues, according to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Per that report, "Jefferson has been doing maintenance and faces the prospect of missing a few weeks. He’ll have more info following the appointment, including if he needs surgery."

Jefferson, 26, missed the team's practice at UC Irvine on Saturday.

"We're figuring that out right now, working through that," head coach Sean McVay told reporters at the time.

He heads into the 2022 season as the Rams' No. 3 receiver behind superstar Cooper Kupp and offseason signing Allen Robinson. It was believed coming into training camp that his knee issues were behind him:

WR Van Jefferson played through a knee injury through the last part of the Rams’ season. He had a small procedure to clean it up, rehabbed through the spring and is “100% healthy”, cleared and ready to go for year 3.

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) July 23, 2022

Jefferson thrived last season, catching 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in just his second year. He spent much of the campaign as the No. 3 option for Matt Stafford behind Kupp and initially Robert Woods. After the latter was injured, midseason acquisition Odell Beckham Jr. ascended to the No. 2 role.

Regardless, he's an important part of the team's passing game as it looks to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

The depth chart falls off after the top three at receiver, with a pair of second-year players—Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell—in line for a bigger role should Jefferson miss time. Skowronek caught 11 passes for 133 yards as a rookie. Atwell didn't record any receptions, though he did fill in as an occasional kick and punt returner.

And while Beckham remains a free agent, he isn't expected to play until until around the midpoint of the season or later after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl.

If Jefferson misses significant time, the Rams could turn to other options in free agency or turn to Skowronek and Atwell hoping one of them takes a big step in year two. Either way, the status of Jefferson's knee has become a very big storyline for the Rams this summer.

Amid rumblings shortly after the Super Bowl that Sean McVay might not return as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, Aaron Donald was also teasing retirement.

Speaking to NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano and Maurice Jones-Drew on Saturday, Donald admitted he "probably" would have walked away if McVay had left the team:

"We came up with some things early and I first told him as long as he's the head coach here, I want to continue to build my legacy with him. As long as he's here and I got the ability to still play at a high level, I'm going to be here. When he's gone and it's all said and done, that probably will be when I'm hanging it up, too."

In the wake of the Rams' 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, McVay was noncommittal about coaching in 2022.

"We'll see," McVay told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. "I'm just enjoying this moment right now. I'm really happy to be a part of this. Happy for that."

During an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast in March (h/t CBS Sports' Patrik Walker), Donald said he was talking about retiring "way before we won a Super Bowl" and would be at peace with that decision if it happened.

Donald also noted he was looking to be paid in line with his level of performance.

"But again, it's still a business," he said. "We've got to handle the business side of things, and if that wasn't to get handled then, you know, it is what it is type of situation. I'll be fine regardless."

The Rams rewarded their superstar defensive tackle by restructuring his contract to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. He received a guaranteed $95 million through the 2024 season.

There's a strong argument that Donald has been the best player in the NFL, regardless of position, since he was drafted by the Rams in 2014. He has been named to the All-Pro first team in each of the past seven seasons and has finished in the top five in Defensive Player of the Year voting every year since 2015, winning three times.

Donald has only missed two games in his career. The 31-year-old has averaged 28.3 quarterback hits, 18.8 tackles for loss and 12.3 sacks per season over the past eight years.

As the Rams prepare to defend their Super Bowl championship, having Donald back in the middle of their defensive line will make their task a lot easier.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson said he's aiming to become the first player in NFL history to post 2,000 receiving yards in a single season in 2022.

"I hope so," Jefferson told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press on Monday. "I think I can. Hopefully, everything goes right and I can get that 2,000. That's my goal."

Detroit Lions legend Calvin Johnson holds the all-time record with the 1,964 yards he posted in 2012. The Los Angeles Rams' Cooper Kupp came close last year with 1,947 yards.

While Kupp staked his claim as the NFL's best wideout with his standout showing in 2021, Jefferson told Tomasson the Las Vegas Raiders' Davante Adams still gets his vote as the top dog at the position, at least for now.

"Just because all that Davante Adams has done," he said. "I'm just showing my respect for him but agree that after the year I'll pass him."

As for Kupp?

"Coop is good, but I'll say he's behind me," Jefferson told Tomasson.

The 23-year-old LSU product is off to a tremendous start to his career with the Vikings. He's earned Pro Bowl selections in each of his first two NFL seasons while tallying 196 catches for 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns in 33 games.

His yardage total is the highest in the league over the past two years, and he's hopeful the switch to new head coach Kevin O'Connell, who most recently served as the offensive coordinator for Kupp and the Rams, will open up the offense even more.

"[O'Connell] can do a lot," Jefferson told Tomasson. "He'll put me in different positions, put me in motion, put me in different spots to get the ball. So we're excited about this new offense. I feel great about all the different coaches coming into the building."

One thing that could prevent Jefferson from reaching his 2,000-yard goal is Minnesota's pass-catching depth.

Fellow receivers Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn along with tight end Irv Smith Jr. are going to command a fair share of targets, and running back Dalvin Cook is also a factor in the passing game.

Last year, Kupp finished with 191 targets, and the next-highest total on the Rams was Van Jefferson at 89. It was a similar story for Johnson with the Lions in 2012, when he finished with 204 targets and next on the team was Brandon Pettigrew at 102.

It's hard to see Jefferson pushing toward 200 targets if all of the Vikings' main offensive playmakers remain healthy. If injuries arise, however, all bets are off and he could make that push for 2,000 yards.

Minnesota will kick off the regular season Sept. 11 when it welcomes the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers to U.S. Bank Stadium for a key Week 1 showdown.