The Los Angeles Rams placed quarterback Matthew Stafford in concussion protocol, as announced by head coach Sean McVay on Wednesday.
Amid a struggling season and entering their Week 10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (3-6) at 3-5 on the season, the defending Super Bowl champion Rams meet their greatest challenge thus far. McVay told reporters that after further evaluation by the medical staff, with no indication of symptoms from Stafford during Los Angeles' Week 9 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that the veteran quarterback would be placed in the protocol.
"We'll keep Matthew Stafford out, we'll keep him in the concussion protocol," McVay said, per team-provided video. "What ended up happening was (vice president of sports medicine and performance) Reggie (Scott) and his group doing their kind of, cleanup after the game. You ask the questions and you do the right follow-ups and determine that they felt like that was the best thing for him."
McVay added: "It's more importantly about the person than the player in these types of things, as we know. And nobody's more of a competitor and wanting to be out there with his teammates than Matthew. He's in the protocol, so we'll take it a day at a time with him and that was what our medical experts determined just based on some of the things that they gathered was the smart and the right course of action."
In his 14th NFL campaign, Stafford has notched a passer rating of 84.9, completing 195-of-285 attempts for 1,928 yards while throwing eight touchdowns and as many interceptions through eight games played this season.
The Cardinals, who had quarterback Kyler Murray sidelined with a hamstring injury during practice on Wednesday, will kickoff against the Rams at SoFi Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
