Matthew Stafford injury update: Rams QB being evaluated for concussion, Bryce Perkins replaces him vs. Saints

Jacob Camenker

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Matthew Stafford injury update: Rams QB being evaluated for concussion, Bryce Perkins replaces him vs. Saints image

Matthew Stafford missed the Rams' Week 10 game against the Cardinals while dealing with a concussion.

Stafford was able to return to action in Week 11, but once again, he appears to be in the NFL's concussion protocol.

Stafford exited the Rams' game against the Saints on Sunday in the third quarter after taking a shot to the head while being tackled. He first went to the blue medical tent after the Demario Davis hit but eventually went to the locker room.

After that, the Rams announced that Stafford was being evaluated for a concussion. They did not provide a status designation for the rest of the game, but he did not return to the sidelines. 

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Following the Rams' 27-20 loss, coach Sean McVay told reporters (via Jourdan Rodrigue) he did not know whether Stafford was back in the concussion protocol, adding in regards to the quarterback's status going forward: "We will make the decision that is best for Matthew." 

Before exiting, Stafford had completed 11 of 18 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a four-yard run on his lone scramble of the day.

Stafford's normal backup, John Wolford, was not dressed for Sunday's game because of a neck injury. So, the Rams will now be down to their third-string quarterback Bryce Perkins as long as Stafford is unable to take the field.

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Rams QB depth chart

The Rams had two quarterbacks active for their matchup against the Saints. They are as follows:

Rank Player
1 Matthew Stafford
2 Bryce Perkins

With Stafford being examined for a concussion and Wolford out for the game, the Rams are relying on third-string quarterback Bryce Perkins to carry them to victory.

Perkins signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and has spent the last three seasons developing with the team. The former Virginia product has good mobility and solid size at 6-3, 214 pounds, so he will provide the team with a different look at the quarterback position.

That said, Perkins is inexperienced. He played sparingly in relief of Wolford last week but only threw one pass. He completed it for a loss of three yards while adding four yards on three scrambles. That comprises his NFL experience to date.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.