Not only are the Los Angeles Rams getting dominated by the Dallas Cowboys, but quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered an injury just before halftime. What happened to Stafford on Sunday, and what is his current injury status?
Matthew Stafford Injury Update
Stafford’s right thumb collided with Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith’s helmet after a two-point conversion attempt. Stafford had already hit his right hand on Micah Parsons’ helmet a few plays earlier, but he appeared to be in much more pain following the second hit.
Stafford left the field and went to the locker room right before the half ended. The Rams never provided an update on his status.
#Rams QB Matthew Stafford appeared to injure his thumb on his throwing hand during this play.
pic.twitter.com/CLzhFmTyYJ— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 29, 2023
He returned after halftime, leading a scoring drive, throwing a touchdown pass, and even catching — yes, catching — a two-point conversion. Stafford re-injured his thumb while hauling in that pass and left the game.
Backup Brett Rypien — who made three starts for the Denver Broncos between 2020-22 — entered the game on L.A.’s next series.
The Rams listed Stafford as questionable to return, but he never came back with the score out of hand.
Stafford had completed 13 of 22 attempts for 182 yards, one touchdown, and one interception (returned for a pick-six by Cowboys CB DaRon Bland) before departing.
After the game, head coach Sean McVay didn’t have any new information on Stafford.
“We’ll see what the significance of that injury is, but I don’t want to speculate until I have full clarification from the doctors,” McVay said. “But obviously, he wasn’t able to return.”
The Rams are now “evaluating a range of potential scenarios” involving Stafford’s thumb injury, reports Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. Los Angeles has not ruled out an injured reserve stint “at some point,” per Rodrigue, but the club is “still gathering information.”
Fantasy Fallout From Stafford’s Injury
The Rams’ offense is pretty straightforward. While the floor/ceiling conversation for both of their star receivers suffers with this injury, it’s not enough to knock them out of the starting tier. It’s worth noting that Los Angeles will go on bye in Week 10 — hopefully, we are dealing with a short-term loss of value.
Tutu Atwell was an already tough sell with a healthy Stafford, given the target-earning capabilities of both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua — he doesn’t need to be rostered at this moment in time.
This is an RB committee that relies on scoring opportunities to offer fantasy upside, and that is now a significant concern. There are four teams on bye next week, and the Green Bay Packers’ defense isn’t anything special, but neither Rams running back (Darrell Henderson or Royce Freeman) should be considered a must-start in the short term.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe