LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Stafford practiced with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, marking the quarterback’s first workout with the team this preseason after having been unable to do so because of a sore back.
Stafford, 37, took first-team reps during the session and did not speak to reporters afterward. Coach Sean McVay said it was too soon to know what the session means for Stafford’s status going forward.
“I think that would be putting the cart way before the horse,” McVay said. “I thought he did a good job today, and we had 26 plays of team (with Stafford), and (he) did a really nice job of managing the huddle. I thought he saw the field well. I thought he went where the balls would go, and there’s some good competitive work on both sides today.”
McVay has repeatedly declined to put any timeline on Stafford’s availability, doing so again on Monday, after having initially said in July his starting quarterback would miss the first part of training camp. The Rams open the regular season on Sept. 7 by hosting the Houston Texans.
“I’m not going to pigeonhole myself into any plans,” McVay said. “And so we’re just really seeing how he feels. We’re really taking it a day at a time and a week at a time right now.”
While McVay said he was treating Monday’s practice as another day, teammates were visibly excited to have the veteran going into his 17th season on the field. Stafford has led the team into the playoffs in three of his four seasons in Los Angeles, including winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season.
“I think this group brings energy every day. I think that certainly was something that guys felt good about. Like, what I want to make sure is, let’s just take it a day at a time. This represents a great opportunity that he wanted to be out there and do what he did today, and then we’ll see what tomorrow really takes.”
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, left, talks with quarterback Matthew Stafford during a training camp scrimmage against the Dallas Cowboys, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has chosen Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day speech on Thursday, reflecting the idea of pilgrimage that is expected to be a theme of the annual address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
The central London landmark, known for the lavish coronations and royal weddings it has hosted for more than 1,000 years, is also the focus of an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Edward the Confessor, which lies at the heart of the church. Edward, a monk-like monarch, was canonized as a saint in 1161.
The monarch’s annual holiday message is watched by millions of people in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, most of which have historic ties to Britain. The prerecorded speech is broadcast at 3 p.m. (1500 GMT), when many families are enjoying their traditional Christmas lunch.
The speech is one of the rare occasions when Charles, 77, is able to voice his own views and doesn’t seek guidance from the government. It usually has a strong religious framework, reflects current issues and sometimes draws on the monarch’s personal experiences.
This year’s address comes just two weeks after Charles made a deeply personal television appearance in which he said “good news” from his doctors meant that he would be able to reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year.
The king was diagnosed with a still undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024. Buckingham Palace said that his treatment is now moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition will be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.
Charles recorded last year’s speech at Fitzrovia Chapel, which was once part of the now demolished Middlesex Hospital. During that address, he honored care workers around the country and gave a special thanks to the doctors and nurses who supported him after his cancer diagnosis.
This year’s Christmas speech will be the fourth since Charles ascended to the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in September 2022.
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla lead as they arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive to attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's King Charles III during the recording of his Christmas message in the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey, central London, Thursday Dec. 11, 2025. (Aaron Chown/PA via AP, Pool)
