As Matthew Stafford got to the podium on Thursday, he joked that he was sure reporters wanted to ask him questions about the paper cut he suffered.The Rams star quarterback then fielded inquiries about the subject that clouds all conversation about the Rams: The back injury that sidelined Stafford until this week.

Mike Florio and Michael Holley explain why back injuries are so difficult to get back to full strength and how the Rams must figure out how to manage this throughout the season.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford spoke with the media for the first time about the back injury that had sidelined him from practice until this week.

Matthew Stafford has completed his first full week of practice since the start of training camp, and the Los Angeles Rams’ starting quarterback says he is optimistic about the improvement in his injured back.

Matthew Stafford's back injury has been the biggest story of training camp for the Los Angeles Rams, and head coach Sean McVay didn't provide any official word regarding availability for the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans even after the quarterback returned to practice Monday.

Rams head coach Sean McVay provides injury updates on quarterback Matthew Stafford (back) and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (hamstring) following Thursday's joint practice with the Saints.

Stafford has reportedly been dealing with an aggravated disc in his back, and while he previously completed some private individual work where he threw behind the scenes, he had been sitting out of team drills. This is a step in the right direction with the Rams' season opener vs. the Houston Texans now less than three weeks away.

Injuries are no strangers to the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford has been dealing with back issues, Alaric Jackson has been suffering from blood clots, sever