Still nursing a back injury, Matthew Stafford doesn't join practice with Rams as originally planned

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quarterback Matthew Stafford did not practice with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday as originally scheduled.

The 37-year-old Stafford has yet to practice in training camp or the preseason this summer while dealing with an aggravated disk causing back soreness.

Coach Sean McVay said last weekend that Stafford would participate in individual work Monday morning, but Stafford instead attended the practice in street clothes at the Rams' training complex in Woodland Hills.

“He didn’t feel good enough, and we didn’t think (practicing) was the right thing to do based on how he woke up feeling today,” McVay said.

Stafford went through a lengthy workout last Saturday before the Rams' preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, making roughly 70 throws of all lengths.

But Stafford's back "didn’t respond the way that you wanted it to," McVay said.

“When he was out here working out, it was great, and then it’s like anything else, let’s communicate. We all know there’s nobody that’s tougher than this guy, and so we are going to still be safe. But I think more than anything, he wants to be out there more than anybody.”

McVay said he didn't know whether Stafford would attempt to practice Tuesday. He also said the Rams and Stafford have never discussed the possibility of surgery to fix the problem: "I haven’t gone down that road yet, in terms of those types of conversations. There have been a lot of conversations about what’s the best method of how we want approach it, and that hasn’t been something that comes up yet.”

McVay has repeatedly downplayed the severity of Stafford’s latest injury, claiming the quarterback could play in games if the Rams were in the regular season. McVay stepped back slightly from that stance Monday, saying: “I don’t know that. I think he still probably would be able to play it, just based on how he feels.”

The coach said the Rams will structure Stafford's work over the next four weeks “so that he can feel as good as possible when we open up against Houston (on Sept. 7). I do think it’s important to be able to get some work in, but not at the expense of following the plan that we’ve talked about.”

The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is entering his 17th NFL season. The No. 1 overall pick in 2009 by Detroit, Stafford led the Rams to the playoffs in three of his first four seasons on the West Coast.

Jimmy Garoppolo is the Rams' backup quarterback. Neither Garoppolo nor Stafford will play in the preseason, leaving the Rams' three exhibition games to Stetson Bennett, who played well in the Rams' 31-21 win over Dallas.

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