Rams backup QB Wolford to miss time with appendicitis

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback John Wolford is expected to miss up to two weeks because of appendicitis.

Wolford had his appendix removed Friday following an examination by team doctors after waking up with pain in his side, a Rams spokesman said.

“John, obviously, caught us a little bit off guard with that news, but obviously we want to get him all fixed up and ready to roll as soon as possible,” offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell said.

Wolford started the NFC wild-card playoff game at Seattle this past season after impressing coach Sean McVay with his mobility and willingness to throw down the field in the regular season finale against Arizona, filling in for then-Rams starter Jared Goff because of a dislocated thumb sustained in a Week 16 loss against the Seahawks.

Wolford sustained a neck injury late in the first quarter and was replaced by Goff in the 30-20 win. Goff started the following week when the Rams lost 32-18 to Green Bay in a NFC divisional round playoff game. Wolford did not play in the game, which would be Goff’s last before he was traded to Detroit in a blockbuster deal for Matthew Stafford in March.

Wolford was 22 of 38 passing for 231 yards with an interception and rushed for 56 yards in the win over the Cardinals. He was 3 of 6 passing for 29 yards and had a 2-yard run against the Seahawks.

Wolford was a four-year starter at Wake Forest before signing with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent. He played for Arizona in the Alliance of American Football before the spring league abruptly shut down during its first season. Wolford then signed with the Rams, and he spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons on their practice squad before being promoted to the main roster after Goff hurt his throwing hand.

The injury to Wolford leaves Stafford, Devlin Hodges and Bryce Perkins as available quarterbacks on the roster. O’Connell said Hodges, a third-year passer, and Perkins, in his second year, would see increased reps in practice going forward, including a joint practice with Dallas in Oxnard, California on Saturday.

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