LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to play for the Los Angeles Rams this weekend after tests revealed only a mild sprain of the index finger on his throwing hand.
Stafford injured his finger in the first half of the Rams’ 34-31 victory over the Panthers last Saturday when he banged his hand into the arm of a Carolina defender while throwing a pass.
The MVP candidate was able to play through the injury in the wild-card round, leading the Rams' dramatic comeback for the Super Bowl champion's sixth career playoff victory.
Coach Sean McVay said Monday that Stafford will be available when Los Angeles (13-5) faces Chicago in the divisional round on Sunday.
“He's as tough as it gets, but he's feeling good,” McVay said. “He was able to push through it, and he'll be good to go.”
McVay also said cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon will miss the rest of the Rams' season after reinjuring his shoulder blade. The nine-year veteran will be placed on injured reserve.
The Rams got more encouraging news about Kevin Dotson, with McVay saying the right guard has “a good chance” to return this weekend from his sprained ankle.
Dotson, a key part of the Rams’ rushing attack, sprained his ankle last month when it was stepped on by Seattle linebacker Derick Hall, who received a one-game suspension for his actions.
Witherspoon began the season as a starter for the Rams, but he has played only seven games in a secondary that has been repeatedly exposed as the defense's weakest link, with or without his presence.
Witherspoon broke his shoulder blade in Week 2 at Tennessee, although the injury initially was reported by the Rams as a broken collarbone. He missed 2 1/2 months before returning for the final four regular-season games as a reserve.
He played just 12 snaps at Carolina before getting hurt again, and McVay confirmed that Witherspoon's ninth NFL season is over. Witherspoon had one interception and eight tackles for the Rams this season.
Cobie Durant moved into Witherspoon's starting spot after Week 2, and he kept the spot after Witherspoon's return. Durant had an early interception in the Rams' win at Carolina.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford answers question after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Carolina Panthers, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
CORRECTS NAME TO MICHAEL WILSON NOT COBIE DURANT - Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson, left, catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Los Angeles Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (4) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field after a win over the Carolina Panthers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco)
NEW YORK (AP) — An Air Canada regional jet struck a firetruck on the runway of New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, crushing the front nose of the plane, according to authorities and photos of the wreckage.
Officials did not immediately say how many people may have been injured and whether anyone was killed.
There were 72 passengers and four crew members aboard the plane, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada, according to a statement from the airline. The flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal.
“At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, a Jazz Aviation flight operating on behalf of Air Canada was involved in an incident on Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in which the aircraft struck a Port Authority Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident," the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement.
The statement noted the Port Authority Police Department and the agency’s chairman and executive director are at the scene on the runway of the airport, which is closed while the accident is investigated.
Jazz Aviation issued a statement confirming the accident and noting the passenger and crew list was preliminary and subject to confirmation.
Data shows the flight originated at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the major airport serving Montreal, according to online flight tracker FlightAware.
Multiple videos taken by bystanders and posted on social media showed the jet with severe damage to the front of the aircraft. Images show the severely damaged Air Canada plane illuminated by floodlights and emergency vehicles parked nearby on the runway.
Firetrucks lineup outside LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, in New York, after an Air Canada Jet collided with a Port Authority vehicle on a runway. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority vehicle in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority vehicle in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority vehicle in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Firetrucks lineup outside LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, in New York, after an Air Canada Jet collided with a Port Authority vehicle on a runway. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
FILE - A control tower is seen at Laguardia International Airport on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova, File)
An Air Canada Jet sits on the runway at LaGuardia Airport, Monday, March 23, 2026, after colliding with a Port Authority vehicle in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
