Matthew Stafford has struggled to stay on the field throughout his career, but his frequent injuries have gotten worse as he has become older. The Detroit Lions quarterback missed almost half of last season due to injuries, including a high ankle sprain that knocked him out of the entire post-season. This year, he has been one of the few bright spots for the Lions, completing 67.9 percent of his passes and throwing for 3,172 yards—good for third in the league—and 20 touchdowns. However, a few weeks ago, Stafford was forced to leave the team’s playoff loss against the Dallas Cowboys early due to the injury he sustained to his throwing shoulder. And for the first time in a while, the Lions are without him. ~~
Matthew Stafford is going into the 2021 season as the Detroit Lions best pass rusher. Then, he tore his Achilles tendon during a physical in mid-April, and in early May, the Lions announced that he would miss the entire 2021 season. That loss is a big one, but the Lions have other weapons for the defense to rely on in a way that Stafford is not.
Matthew Stafford was already one of the NFL’s most valuable players, but now he’s officially been upgraded to the highest tier of players. According to NFLPA records, the Lions quarterback was signed to a monstrous 7-year extension worth $153.3 million on Friday, granting him the most lucrative contract in league history.
Matthew Stafford made his way to Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams after years of withering away on Detroit Lions teams with little direction and much less offensive potency. Stafford’s year should be 2021, with one of the most creative offensive minds in the NFL and an emphasis on skill-position players.
Stafford and the Rams, though, received some terrible news only a week before training camp began. Last year’s first-round selection, who was anticipated to shoulder a significant portion of the offensive burden in 2021, tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the whole season.
In 2021, Matthew Stafford will head a loaded Los Angeles Rams attack.
Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images | Cam Akers and Matthew Stafford
Sean McVay, the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, was hired by the Los Angeles Rams only days before his 31st birthday. In 2017, he surpassed Lance Kiffin as the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, by almost a year.
The Rams’ first postseason participation in almost a decade was led by this innovative and ingenious play-caller, who selected quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall selection the previous season. McVay led the team to the Super Bowl the following year.
Despite the team’s success, Goff hasn’t matured as a great quarterback should, and McVay began looking for a new quarterback in the 2021 summer. In exchange for Stafford, he sent Goff, a 2021 third-round selection, and the team’s first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to Detroit.
Stafford joins a squad with a lot of weapons on offense. The squad features excellent skill position players in addition to a strong, experienced offensive line. With Robert Wood, Cooper Kupp, 2020 second-round selection Van Jefferson, and free agency addition DeSean Jackson, wide receiver is the position with the most depth. Tyler Higbee, Cam Akers, and Darrell Henderson, as well as tight end Tyler Higbee, are all dangerous targets.
Cam Akers tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the rest of the season in 2021.
RB #Rams According to a source, Cam Akers tore his Achilles during exercising.
L.A. has suffered a devastating blow by losing its top rusher from last season just a week before camp starts.
July 20, 2021 — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero)
In 2020, the Los Angeles Rams selected the 5-foot-10, 217-pound Akers with the 52nd overall pick out of Florida State. Last season, the dynamic runner was expected to be the franchise’s workhorse back. While he did lead the team in running (by one yard over Henderson), he did not take over as the starter as anticipated.
However, many rookies struggled with the COVID-19-related strangeness of 2020, and Akers was anticipated to be the starting back from day one in 2021. Akers ruptured his Achilles tendon while working out on his own only a week before training camp began, which was unfortunate for both the player and the organization.
McVay told ESPN, “You just feel so terrible for him because he’s doing everything right, he’s working hard.” “It’s a huge loss for us, but it’s a chance for others.”
The Rams, like other NFL teams, have a strong “next man up” attitude, and other running backs will now have a chance to line up behind Stafford.
In 2021, who will be the running back for the Los Angeles Rams?
The Rams have no intentions to sign a free-agent running back in the near future. They trust in Darrell Henderson, just as they did with undrafted free agent running back Xavier Jones last year, and they selected running back Jake Funk in the seventh round this year. For the time being, they’re staying put, but they may change their minds later. https://t.co/kkIVXrySFq
July 20, 2021 — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Henderson, Akers’ presumed backup, will be his immediate replacement. In a rotation with Akers and veteran Malcolm Brown, the third-year runner from Memphis carried for 624 yards and five touchdowns in 2020. In addition, he has 16 receptions for 159 yards and another score.
Behind Henderson, there are several promising but inexperienced backs. McVay added, “What you do feel good about is you have some youthful depth on the roster.” “And it will give people a chance to really evaluate how they manage a little bit more of a burden, how they handle some of the competitive chances we’ll have.”
This depth comes in the form of four first- or second-year backs. Xavier Jones (undrafted, SMU) and Raymond Calais (seventh round, Louisiana-Lafayette) are second-year backs, while Jake Funk (seventh round, Maryland) and Otis Anderson are rookies (undrafted, Central Florida).
The club also has about $7 million in cap space, allowing them to sign a free agency running back. Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, Duke Johnson, and Le’Veon Bell, all former Rams, are among the finest runners still on the market.
In the NFL, Akers has the potential to be a great three-down back. Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams offense will be severely harmed as a result of the injury. Even so, it occurred early enough that McVay and the front office should be able to fully assess the talent they have and, if necessary, bring in someone else. It should have a significant impact on the Rams’ position as an NFC favorite.
Pro Football Reference provided all stats.
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The Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford is a four-year pro, and has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since entering the league in 2009. So it seems like he shouldn’t be in a position to lose one of his most dangerous weapons for the entire season.. Read more about matthew stafford stats and let us know what you think.
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