Matthew Stafford’s long-awaited return to practice for the Los Angeles Rams finally came to fruition, as the team shared a video on X showing the 17-year veteran quarterback taking the field Monday morning.
Stafford walked out with his customary red No. 9 jersey over his shoulder pads.
Matthew Stafford out at practice. 9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/Gpae1kotVU
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 18, 2025
“It was good to be able to have Matthew out there,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “He did a good job today. I thought he looked good, but I don’t really have any updates … we’re going to keep it a day, and really, a week at a time, but it’s great to be able to see him out there today and we’ll see how this afternoon goes, and tomorrow.”
McVay was asked directly about his confidence that Stafford would be ready to go in Week 1, which is just under three weeks away. McVay didn’t commit to that, reiterating that Stafford did a “good job today.” As he’s done before, McVay called it a “fluid situation” that demands flexibility.
McVay had previously said Stafford’s ramp-up period upon returning to practice would begin with individual drills. However, Stafford was able to do more than that on Monday, taking part in individual drills and taking reps during the team’s 11-on-11 sessions.
Stafford was expected to make his return to practice one week ago, but the Rams chose to take a cautious approach with their 37-year-old quarterback, who has been dealing with an aggravated disk that caused back soreness for the last several weeks.
He worked out on Aug. 9 before the Rams’ first preseason game. Although the workout went well, Stafford didn’t “feel great” a couple of days later, which ended up holding him out of practice the rest of the week.
The Rams host the Houston Texans in their season opener on Sept. 7.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)