Sean McVay Says Matthew Stafford Experiencing 'Abnormal' Elbow Pain

The defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams might have a bit of a problem on their hands.

Stafford, who led the Rams to the title last season without winning Super Bowl MVP, is apparently dealing with substantial pain in his right elbow, according to a new report.

Head coach Sean McVay spoke on Thursday about Stafford's progression in training camp and admitted that his pain is "a little bit abnormal for a quarterback."

This is even more concerning that it might appear considering Stafford dealt with an injury to the same elbow last year as well and received an injection during the offseason in an attempt to treat it.

He also did not throw in spring workouts to manage his usage before the season starts.

McVay also acknowledged that the Rams' training staff "tried some things in the offseason" to eliminate some of the pain Stafford was feeling. Obviously they were unsuccessful.

As a result, it was expected that he would have to do a "modified approach and a progressive build" in fall camp.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 09: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams looks to throw the ball in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

Despite Stafford being unable to participate in team reps, McVay claims that the pain "isn't a setback."

He also expressed that Stafford's toughness could help him be ready in time for the start of the season and the rigors of a long schedule with potential playoff appearances:

" want to try to have him operate in as little pain as possible," McVay said. "I think anytime that you've played as long and are as tough as he is, I don't know if you're ever truly pain-free, but the goal would be for Sept. 8 and really looking towards 17 games then hopefully some games after that if we earn that opportunity."

Despite the pain, McVay thought Stafford "looked really good" in recent practices, saying he was making throws in a "smart fashion" with "all parts of the field being activated."

While McVay doesn't seem overly concerned about the injury, the fact that this is a reoccurring problem definitely raises some red flags about Stafford's health going forward.

The Rams starter threw for 41 TD's last season and the team's backup options are John Wofford or Bryce Perkins, so if there are lingering concerns with Stafford's elbow it could be extremely problematic.

Suddenly there's a lot to monitor around Rams training camp this year.