Matthew Stafford will be “good to go” come Sunday.
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback sprained the index finger on his throwing hand, head coach Sean McVay confirmed on Monday, but he isn’t expected to miss any time. Stafford should still be able to start in the team’s divisional round matchup against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.
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Stafford hurt his finger while leading the Rams past the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. Stafford tried to get a pass to wide receiver Puka Nacua late in the first half, but his right index finger bent awkwardly back against the arm of Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum.
“He’s as tough as it gets, but he’s feeling good … He had a sprain on the index finger, but he was able to push through it” McVay said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “He’s as tough as it gets, and will be good to go.”
Stafford did not leave the game on Saturday, and ended up throwing 24-of-42 for 304 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He led the team on a game-winning drive and hit Colby Parkinson with a perfect 19-yard touchdown pass near the pylon to seal the 34-31 win.
X-rays on Stafford’s finger after the game came back negative. McVay doesn’t think that Stafford will have to wear anything to protect his finger moving forward, either.
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The Rams are back in the divisional round of the playoffs for a second straight year. They’ll now take on the Bears, who also rallied to pull off a wild win over the Green Bay Packers in their wild-card matchup on Saturday. A win for the Rams in Chicago on Sunday would send them back to the NFC championship game for the first time since their Super Bowl run during the 2021 campaign.
While Stafford is fine, the Rams lost cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for the rest of the postseason due to a shoulder injury he sustained on Saturday. The Rams are hopeful that guard Kevin Dotson (ankle) and tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) are able to play against the Bears after their respective injuries, too.
