Matthew Stafford could be very close to ending his NFL career following the spinal cord contusion he sustained in Week 11 against the Saints.
Matthew Stafford : Spinal cord contusion | Wife
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | February 7, 1988 Tampa, Florida |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Ranking in the top 20 for all-time in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns, Stafford is fourth in all-time passing yards per game and the fastest NFL player to reach 40,000 passing yards.
As the Lions’ primary starter from 2009 to 2020, Stafford had a breakout season in 2011 when he became the fourth NFL quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season, while leading the Lions to their first playoff appearance since 1999.
Matthew Stafford spinal cord contusion
Matthew Stafford could be very close to ending his NFL career following the spinal contusion he sustained in Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints.
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback is still not fully recovered from the blow he suffered, coach Sean McVay has commented that Stafford’s legs still feel numb, which has caused concern within the team.
Former NFL doctor David Chao talked about Matthew Stafford’s spinal cord contusion and said it could end the quarterback’s career.
On the YouTube channel Sports Inury Central, Chao explained the consequences Staffords could suffer if he stays in professional soccer and takes a bad hit.
The doctor’s recommendation is for the NFL player to think hard about his future and not rule out retirement from the Rams quarterback.
“It was the neck problem that caused numbness in both legs. This is very concerning any time numbness goes to the legs from a neck injury and also both sides. So it implied some kind of spinal cord problem. Obviously, you can’t mess with the spinal cord,” he continued.
“You have to avoid any small risk of permanent damage. That’s why he’s been sidelined this season. What the medical staff has to do is figure out why it happened. Was there instability in a segment? Was there a disc, Was there a narrowing of the canal? What is it and how to correct it and prevent it? Which could mean surgery.”
It looks like Matthew Stafford and his family will have to make a choice this offseason,” Chao said. “Either do something to correct the risk of further spinal cord contusion and potential permanent damage, usually with neck surgery, fusion surgery, decompression surgery of some sort, that he can return to play.
Wife
In the Nov. 29 episode of The Morning After podcast, Kelly Stafford recalled the conversations she had with NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford as he follows concussion protocol.
More than a week after Matthew Stafford was placed in NFL concussion protocol for the second time this season, Kelly shared her thoughts on the Los Angeles Rams quarterback’s possible return to the field.
“If it was up to me, you guys know how I would feel but it’s not up to me,” she said on the Nov. 29 episode of The Morning After podcast. “It’s my husband and what he worked for…I love that he’s a competitor. I love that he wants to be out there.”
When Kelly questioned why Matthew would want to go back out on the football field and compete, his answer impressed her.
“He looked at me and said, ‘If I’m healthy enough to go, the players rely on me,” she recalled. “‘My teammates, the coach, the owner, everyone relies on me and I have to earn the paycheck. I was paid to play. I wasn’t paid to sit. So if I’m healthy enough to go, I’m gonna go.’ You can’t really fight with that.”
When recording the podcast Nov. 28, Kelly said Matthew was still showing symptoms, making it hard to share when he will return to the game.