The Rams thought and hoped that Stafford would participate in individual drills in practice this week, but his back\u00a0didn\u2019t feel good enough to do it Monday<\/a>, and he also didn\u2019t participate in the team\u2019s next two practices. Stafford apparently aggravated a disk in his back during the weeks between minicamp and training camp, and he has yet to practice at all since the Rams reconvened.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to work out on Saturday, and hopefully it responds a little bit better,\u201d McVay said.<\/p>\n The Rams host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.<\/p>\n McVay said Stafford\u2019s back injury likely causes both pain and functional problems. The Rams had said before last week that the 17-year veteran could play if the Rams were in the regular season, but McVay has seemed less certain about that belief since last weekend\u2019s setback.<\/p>\n McVay said earlier this week that the Rams haven\u2019t discussed the possibility of surgery on Stafford\u2019s disk.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to hands around this as well,\u201d McVay said. \u201cI don\u2019t really have much more information, other than we\u2019re trying some different things that are hopefully going to be in alignment with getting him back out on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett ran the Rams\u2019 offense Thursday during a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints on the training fields surrounding the LA Galaxy\u2019s home stadium in suburban Carson. The Saints stayed in the Los Angeles area after facing the Chargers in their preseason opener last weekend.<\/p>\n The Rams\u2019 offense didn\u2019t look particularly sharp, with Garoppolo and Bennett both making regrettable throws while Chase Young and the Saints\u2019 pass rushers looked impressive against LA\u2019s offensive line. The receivers also had several drops while facing a defense led by Brandon Staley, the Rams\u2019 former defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he was up and down,\u201d McVay said of Garoppolo, the longtime 49ers starter who joined LA as Stafford\u2019s backup last season. \u201cI think (the Saints\u2019) rush did a good job, especially in some of those early periods. Didn\u2019t seem like we were able to find a rhythm, but what I did like was once we got into second and third down, thought he was seeing coverage well, distributing the ball. I loved the way he finished in the two-minute drill.\u201d<\/p>\n McVay isn\u2019t allowing Garoppolo to play in the preseason, so Bennett will run the Rams\u2019 offense again when they face the Chargers. Justin Herbert will play briefly for the Bolts.<\/p>\n The only feisty moment of the joint practice occurred when McVay appeared to admonish New Orleans\u2019 Demario Davis and Bryan Bresee for a low tackle on\u00a0Kyren Williams, who went down awkwardly but wasn\u2019t injured.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys are just playing hard,\u201d McVay said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t anything malicious.\u201d<\/p>\n The Saints clearly enjoyed being on the field with McVay, who razzed them with friendly trash talk at times. Young and other New Orleans veterans also took time between plays to chat briefly with the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of him, so it was great to come out here and get a scrimmage against him,\u201d Saints defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said. \u201cJust competitive. Just trying to get under a guy\u2019s skin, talking. It\u2019s a long practice, so you kind of want to have fun with it while it\u2019s going, you know. You kind of want to keep them juices going and talking smack.\u201d<\/p>\n With Mahomes likely to sit, ex-WSU star Minshew could start vs Seahawks<\/a><\/p>\n
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