There's some uncertainty surrounding Matthew Stafford's return from a back injury, and Los Angeles Rams fans are beginning to worry as the veteran continues to miss practice time. However, according to the team, there's no reason to panic. The Rams remain optimistic.
On Tuesday's edition of ESPN's "NFL Live," insider Adam Schefter detailed the situation.
"Matthew Stafford is in a situation where, here's the issue," Schefter said. "They thought he'd be back at practice on Monday. He wasn't. They thought he'd be back at practice maybe today. He's not.
"At some point, there has to be some level of concern that builds up, but it hasn't yet within the organization. They remain quietly and privately confident that he's going to be ready for the regular season opener against the Houston Texans."
Only three weeks remain before Week 1, and Schefter stressed the difficulty of the situation, especially given that Stafford is 37
"It's a back. Backs linger," Schefter said. "I think it's problematic, but again, I'm just telling you, they have not been concerned and they have maintained all along that if there were a game this week, Matthew Stafford would be out there and he would be playing."
Then, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky pressed for clarity, asking, "Is it more of a function thing or a pain tolerance thing?"
"Maybe a little bit of both. I don't know," Schefter replied.
The organization isn't showing any signs of panic, and that helps keep the fans calm. But if the Rams don't provide a definitive return date for Stafford soon, the mood around the situation could quickly change.