The Los Angeles Rams made a big decision when the team named Jared Goff the starting quarterback for their upcoming matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft had been playing the waiting game until Rams head coach Jeff Fisher finally felt he was ready — therefore officially beginning the Goff era in Los Angeles.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Goff believes he is finally ready to see the field:
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Goff believes he’s ready now.”
Since the Rams traded up 14 spots in the first round and sent five other draft picks elsewhere to select Goff, the rookie was forced to watch on the sidelines as Case Keenum took the snaps under center. While this was the unanimous decision heading into the season, the question was not if Goff would start eventually, it was just a matter of when he would take over.
However, even with Fisher’s doubts to finally make the move besides the team’s offensive struggles, the 22-year-old has been waiting for his number to be called according to Florio:
“The more accurate statement, then, may be not whether Goff is ready to play but whether Fisher is ready to play Goff… Regardless, Goff believes he’s ready to play.”
The Rams are looking for Goff to bring in a new spark offensively as Los Angeles currently ranks second-to-last in total offense this season. Besides their surprising 3-1 start, Los Angeles would end up losing four straight games and barely escaped East Rutherford last week with a narrow 9-6 win against the New York Jets. The win saved their slim playoff hopes, but it marked the second time this season where the Rams won the game without scoring a touchdown. It was then when Fisher decided it was finally time to give the Cal product a shot.
In a year where rookie quarterbacks like Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz are having immediate success besides their limited experience in the NFL, the Rams are hoping the change under center can do the same with Goff.
