Los Angeles Rams quarterback and First-Team All-Pro Matthew Stafford suffered a finger injury late in the second quarter of the team’s Wild Card win over the Carolina Panthers. While the quarterback managed to stay in the game and play 100% of the snaps, he clearly wasn’t the same in the second half of the contest. After the game, the presumptive MVP told reporters what happened and gave an update on his health status.
“They saw it on the TV on the sideline or whatever. I didn’t obviously know exactly what had happened,” Stafford said. “It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great…We’ll see what it is. I was obviously able to finish the game and throw it decent. Once the ball’s snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good. So we’ll hopefully just keep it going.”
Matthew Stafford Gives Update on Injured Finger
Seeing as he finished the game, it’s safe to assume the finger injury will not keep Stafford from playing in the Divisional Round next week. However, in the unlikely event he misses time, the Rams will place their season in the hands of Jimmy Garoppolo. The former second-round pick has yet to throw a pass in 2025 but has plenty of starting experience, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Garoppolo is 5-2 in the playoffs and helped the 49ers make the Super Bowl in 2020. He also won two championships as Tom Brady’s primary backup with the New England Patriots.
Stafford has been nothing short of fantastic in 2025. Playing in his age-37 season, the former first-overall pick started all 17 games while completing 65% of his passes for a league-best 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. The quarterback earned the third Pro Bowl selection of his career and First-Team All-Pro honors.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – Imagn Images