“It wasn't pleasant. It wasn't great. We'll see what it is,” said Matthew Stafford after injuring his index finger during the Rams’ 34–31 wild-card win over the Panthers.

Still, the quarterback remains on the go for the upcoming divisional clash.

Speaking to Jim Gray at the Let's Go! podcast on Monday, Stafford expressed that he will be fine for the upcoming showdown, “Hand is good. I'm not worried about it at all. I was just throwing a ball over the middle to Puka (Nacua) and caught somebody's forearm.”

“Just bent it way back. I was looking down a little bit, like, what's this thing gonna look like when I go down there and look at it? But it was fine, a little bit stiff throughout the game, like a jammed finger. But I know by Sunday next week I'll be feeling great.”

The setback came late in the first half of the game when Stafford released a throw and immediately paid the price. His hand slammed into D.J. Wonnum’s arm on the follow-through, leaving him completely shaken as he bent in discomfort.

Despite the discomfort, he stayed on until the final whistle, and despite a few minor knocks, he looks fully set for Sunday’s clash.

He is not alone; even Rams coach Sean McVay is quite sure that his player will be ready for the upcoming game.

Sean McVay bets on Matthew Stafford's comeback

On Monday, Rams coach Sean McVay told the reporters that Stafford dealt with “a little sprain” in his right index finger. However, McYav expressed that Stafford will be better by the time of the divisional round against the Bears.

"He's as tough as it gets, and he'll be good to go," McVay said, per the Associated Press. The Coach made these statements after seeing the X-ray reports on Stafford’s injury, which turned out to be negative.

The veteran quarterback, in his conversation with Jim Gray, added that his treatment is going well, "I'll do a bunch of treatment, get it feeling good. I played a bunch of games with all sorts of ailments to my hand, in whatever weather, so whatever it is, I'll be ready to rock and roll on Sunday.”

Given that, do you think Matthew Stafford will be at his best in his upcoming game with the Bears?

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu