Rams' Matthew Stafford Day-to-Day After Suffering Thumb Injury vs. Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams star Matthew Stafford is day-to-day after suffering a UCL sprain in his right thumb Sunday's 43-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Sean McVay said on Monday.

That appears to be relatively good news, as The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue previously reported the team was not ruling out placing the veteran on injured reserve as it waited for more details on the injury.

Stafford exited the contest and made way for Brett Rypien, who went 5-of-10 for 42 yards in his brief cameo.

This continues a growing trend for the veteran signal-caller.

Stafford was limited to nine appearances in 2022 thanks to a concussion and a subsequent back injury. Before the year started, he had undergone a minor procedure on his elbow as well.

Many fans wondered whether the Rams' championship window was closed after they finished 5-12. Perhaps the franchise already hit its peak with its Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Jalen Ramsey's trade to the Miami Dolphins removed another key piece from that run.

Los Angeles is nevertheless still looking to win something in the present with head coach Sean McVay and a core of Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp.

Both because of his individual value and what's behind him in the depth chart, Stafford might be the single most important member of the roster.

If the 35-year-old misses any time, the Rams would have to turn to Rypien or Stetson Bennett as their new starting quarterback. Rypien has made three NFL starts to this point in his career, and Bennett is a fourth-round draft pick who enjoyed huge success in college but didn't post overwhelming numbers.

Neither is ideally suited to guide the offense for a team that presumably maintains playoff aspirations.