THOUSANDS OAKS, Calif. — As the Los Angeles Rams prepare for the Buffalo Bills to open the NFL season Thursday night, quarterback Matthew Stafford said there are “no limitations” on his right elbow.
Stafford, who played through right elbow pain last season and received an injection in the elbow during the season, did not throw during spring workouts and was put on a throwing schedule during training camp.
“I feel good,” Stafford said. “I’m ready to go. No limitations. … I feel great. I’m ready to go play. Can always be better. Can always try to feel like I’m 21 again. I’ll keep trying. But no, I feel really good. I feel like I can make every throw.”
Rams coach Sean McVay said the plan the Rams have in place to manage Stafford’s elbow pain is really “no different” than what they did for the quarterback last season. He acknowledged that for any quarterback, “their arm is always something that you want to be smart about.”
“I tell you what, he’s throwing the ball excellent,” McVay said. “And he feels good. Everything that I’m seeing is reflective of everything he’s saying to me. And so I feel really good about that.”
Stafford said he’s “been doing some things that have made [his elbow] feel better,” and that if needed, he will continue to do those during the season.
If the Rams need Stafford to throw 50-plus times on Thursday night?
“No hesitation,” McVay said.