Matthew Stafford puts back injury behind him with historic start

October 20, 2025 Sportextra NBA, Sports 0

Even during a 17-year career with myriad ailments constantly impacting him along the way, Matthew Stafford’s 2025 training camp was most unusual. His back injury caused him to miss nearly every practice, the team sent mixed messages about the severity of the issue and a timeline for his return, and Stafford even brought out a special “Ammortal Chamber” to the facilities, which sounds more like the tagline to a Harry Potter movie than a medical cure. It seemed to me that Stafford was more likely to start the season on short-term IR than it was that he’d be leading the NFL in touchdowns through seven games.

I’m not too proud to admit when I’m wrong.

Stafford has thrown 17 touchdowns against 2 interceptions through seven games. Last night I checked to see how many QBs had matched numbers like that through their team’s first 7 games and I only got 2 QBs with 2 seasons each: Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

This morning, that number increased from 4 to 5.

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Brady had 27 touchdowns and 2 INTs to start the season in 2007 (MVP), Rodgers had 18 TDs to 1 INT to start the season in 2014 and 20 to 2 in 2020 (both MVP seasons), and Brady had 20 TD to 1 INT to start the season in 2015 (second in MVP voting to Cam Newton’s 15-1 campaign).

It is not just possible now, but probable that this might be the first time Stafford is legitimately in the MVP conversation. As I said before, that’s rather shocking to say after 17 seasons and ranking top-10 all-time in touchdown passes. However, it was a player’s absence who may have done the most for Stafford’s case to be the frontrunner for MVP: The loss of Puka Nacua this week was understandably worrisome, but Stafford threw 5 touchdowns against the Jaguars by doing something he almost never does.

Spread the ball around.

Stafford hit 10 different receivers and found Davante Adams in the end zone three times. On one hand, he kept finding the end zone and avoided having to use Josh Karty in any important situations. On the other, Adams averaged 4.4 yards per target and the Rams were led in yards by Colby Parkinson.

Puka’s return will be welcome and only help Stafford’s case for fans to argue that he’s the best in the league right now. (Stafford won’t argue that he’s the best because he has never appeared to care what others think.)

The Jaguars do seem to be coming apart at the seems and might be lucky to turn their 4-1 start into a winning record by the end of the season. After the bye week, Stafford gets a 1-6 Saints defense ranked 27th in points allowed. That’s when the real season starts for the Rams.

▪︎ Week 10: 49ers
▪︎ Week 11: Seahawks
▪︎ Week 12: Bucs
▪︎ Week 13: Panthers
▪︎ Week 14: Cardinals
▪︎ Week 15: Lions
▪︎ Week 16: Seahawks
▪︎ Week 17: Falcons
▪︎ Week 18: Cardinals

Stafford’s case for MVP and the Rams for the NFC West title will not be won by beating the Jaguars in London, but by beating teams like the 49ers, Seahawks, Bucs, and Lions.

The Panthers are a surprising 4-3 (probably not much different than Jacksonville’s 4-3 though) and the Cardinals have lost all 5 games by 4 points or fewer. Stafford has put concerns about his back in the past, but what can the Rams do to put their best foot forward?

Given the caginess of the team in August, and guesses on the severity of Stafford’s back injury given his absences, his age, and past instances of similar situations, I assumed that at best he would have to be carefully monitored and limited on a week-to-week basis. Stafford’s case for MVP? Talk to me in 2 months if that’s still on the table. Stafford’s probability to be limited by a back injury?

I was dead wrong.

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