Matthew Stafford

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.

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.

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."

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.