Rams' Stafford to IR after twice entering protocol

LOS ANGELES -- The Rams person placed backmost Matthew Stafford connected injured reserve.

Stafford would beryllium eligible to instrumentality to the progressive roster successful Week 17.

Stafford has not played since helium injured his cervix successful the Rams' Week 11 nonaccomplishment to the New Orleans Saints, a crippled helium near aft being evaluated for a concussion. Coach Sean McVay aboriginal said Stafford felt immoderate numbness successful his legs aft taking a deed successful that game. Stafford cleared the concussion protocol connected Friday.

Stafford was playing against the Saints conscionable 2 days aft helium was initially cleared from the concussion protocol. Stafford archetypal entered the concussion protocol connected Nov. 8 aft the Rams' aesculapian unit "determined that they felt similar that was the champion happening for him," according to McVay.

McVay said the time aft Stafford entered the concussion protocol that helium didn't person immoderate denotation during the crippled that Stafford was dealing with concussion symptoms. He said "some of the questions" Stafford was asked aft the crippled by the aesculapian unit "and past what they ascertained arsenic a effect of those questions made them consciousness like, 'Hey, the due happening for the idiosyncratic and the subordinate successful this lawsuit is to enactment him successful the protocol.'"

McVay was asked Friday, the time Stafford cleared the concussion protocol for the 2nd clip this season, astir whether the backmost would play again this season.

While "Matthew's the eventual competitor," McVay said helium thinks that "in a batch of instances [the] champion happening that you tin bash is support him from himself."

"I cognize him," McVay said, noting that helium and Stafford speech each day. "If there's immoderate inkling that helium tin play, this guy's going to privation to play. Now [there is a] anticipation that we say, 'Based connected what we're gathering, the doctors, those types of things, the astute happening is to not play you.' And helium could beryllium upset with me, but I deliberation helium knows that I person his champion involvement and we person his champion interest. And if that's the case, past that's decidedly a possibility.

"But he's going to privation to play. He's going to privation to bash everything successful his powerfulness to beryllium retired determination and vie with his teammates and bash the things that's made Matthew Stafford, Matthew Stafford."