The Los Angeles Rams need to do some evaluating going into their bye week, specifically at the quarterback position.
Matthew Stafford is unquestionably the team’s starter and the hope remains that he will be back in Week 11 after missing the Week 9 matchup against the Green Bay Packers with a sprained thumb.
Stafford was unable to grip the football which is why he sat out, but the hope is that with an extra week to heel during the bye, he will be good to go when the Rams return to action against the Seattle Seahawks.
In the event that Stafford is unable to go or suffers another injury though, the Rams are really thin at the quarterback position. The expected backup going into the year was rookie fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett although he is away from the team for personal reasons and unlikely to return this season.
That leaves Brett Rypien as Stafford’s backup and although he has bounced around the league a little, his start against the Packers showed that he is not ready to be getting meaningful snaps yet.
Sean McVay hinted at the possibility of the Rams bringing in another quarterback during the bye week and it looks like the Rams will do just that, signing veteran free agent Carson Wentz, via Adam Schefter of ESPN:
A full-circle QB moment: Rams drafted Jared Goff No. 1 overall I’m 2016 and Carson Wentz went No. 2 to the Eagles.
Goff went to the Lions to replace Matthew Stafford, who replaced Goff in LA.
And now Wentz will back up Stafford in LA. https://t.co/RDSLSpJET1
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 7, 2023
This is a signing that comes full circle for the Rams and their fans as Wentz was one of the options when L.A. had the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft but they went with Jared Goff instead.
That started a little rivalry between Goff and Wentz that the latter was winning at first but has since lost after falling out of the league with the former leading the Detroit Lions to one of the best records in the league so far.
Wentz is now a member of the Rams looking to get back on track though and there is no better placed to do that, as evidenced by what Baker Mayfield did in the last few weeks of last season.
McVay, Stafford and the coaching staff will likely use the bye week to get Wentz up to speed in case he has to start in Week 11.
Again, the hope is that Stafford will be able to play, but if not, the Rams now have a backup that they believe gives them a chance to compete the rest of the year.
