Sports
Matthew Stafford sits to avoid injury this time and Jimmy Garoppolo shows command
No elbow problem. No money-related hold-in.
Just a scheduled day off.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford did not practice Monday — the team’s first in pads — but coach Sean McVay shut down speculation quicker than a Stafford-delivered pass during a two-minute drill.
“This was part of the plan all along,” McVay said, adding, “There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s good.”
Jimmy Garoppolo took Stafford’s place with the first-team offense and Stetson Bennett worked with the second team.
Although both excelled at times, there is no replacing Stafford. The 16th-year pro is the key player for a team that will enter the season with far greater expectations than the 2023 version that finished with a better-than-anticipated 10-7 record and made the playoffs.
So managing Stafford’s workload, and keeping the 36-year-old injury free, remains paramount.
In 2022, after the Rams’ victory in Super Bowl LVI, Stafford did not throw passes during the offseason and was limited in training camp because of right elbow tendinitis. Midway through a lost season, he sustained a concussion that forced him to sit out a game and then a spinal injury that sidelined him the last seven games .
Last season, Stafford returned to an elite level. After sitting out one midseason game because of a thumb injury, he led the Rams’ second-half surge to the postseason.
During the offseason, Stafford surprised the Rams by asking for a contract adjustment. The Rams finally gave in last week and resolved the situation as players were reporting for training camp.
Stafford looked sharp throughout the first week of workouts, delivering passes from all angles to Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and other Rams receivers. But after a day off Sunday, he was not in his jersey Monday.
McVay said the decision to sit Stafford was made because of the amount of throws he made and because Monday’s practice would be heavy on running plays.
Stafford will practice Tuesday, McVay said.
“We have a much better grasp of … just where he’s at in this part in his career,” McVay said. “You don’t ever want to have any of those elbow issues creep up again.”
Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who got first-team snaps Monday since Matthew Stafford sat out, hands off the football Blake Corum during camp practice.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Garoppolo, 32, has his own history of injuries, but the 11th-year pro — who signed a one-year contract with the Rams — got through offseason workouts unscathed and passed well during the first week of camp.
On Monday, his experience and increasing comfort in the offense showed.
A touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long in the back of the end zone harked to throws Garoppolo made with the San Francisco 49ers against the Rams while forging an 8-0 record in regular-season games.
“He’s got great command,” McVay said. “You can see he’s played a lot.”
Garoppolo must sit out the first two regular-season games against the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals because of a suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
So if Stafford were to be sidelined before or during those games, Bennett would be in line to replace him.
Bennett, a second-year pro, spent all of last season on the non-football injury/illness list. Monday marked his first extended work in team drills since the summer of 2023.
Bennett made several outstanding passes, one on a sideline route to receiver Xavier Smith and another on a touchdown pass to receiver Tyler Johnson. He also made some mistakes.
“He had some really good reps; some things where we can be a little bit cleaner,” McVay said, “But what you do see from Stetson is the athleticism. The ability … if we lose contain up front, he can break it and make plays with his legs.”
Bennett enjoyed his first opportunity in full-team drills.
“It went pretty well,” he said. “There were some mistakes, but made some good plays too.
“Just learn from it.”
Etc.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson was sidelined after he sustained an ankle injury early in practice. “I think he’s going to be fine,” McVay said. … Rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske stood out on a day that featured an emphasis on the rushing attack. “He showed up in a big way,” McVay said. “We had some things in that were in alignment that fit his skillset to allow him to really thrive and he took advantage of it.” … Nacua made a spectacular one-handed catch. … The Rams will practice in pads again Tuesday.
Sports
Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU
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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.
Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.
When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.
Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”
Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.
“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”
Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.
“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.
Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.
Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.
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Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.
The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.
He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.
As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.
The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.
Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.
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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.
There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.
It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.
Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.
Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.
Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.
Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.
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