The Los Angeles Rams have put together a roster that can unquestionably compete for a Super Bowl in 2026, although the one piece still missing is a backup quarterback.
Matthew Stafford will be back with the Rams in 2026 looking to repeat his MVP campaign from 2025. He is now 38 years of age, however, so the Rams need to make sure to have a quality backup in place in case he gets injured and is forced to miss time.
The Rams’ top option that they were not shy about was Kirk Cousins, who has a history with Sean McVay dating back to their time together in Washington. Cousins wound up landing a contract with the Las Vegas Raiders that will allow him to compete for the starting job though, which was understandably more appealing then being the Rams’ backup.
With Cousins off the board, the Rams’ next best option is Jimmy Garoppolo, who has served as Stafford’s backup for the last two seasons. Garoppolo is obviously very familiar with the Rams’ offense, making him a logical option if he wants to return.
It appears that is something Garoppolo is still mulling over as the 34-year-old is also considering retirement, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
#Rams free agent QB Jimmy Garoppolo, considered their top option as backup QB, is considering retirement, sources say.
Jimmy G, who has started 64 games during a 12-year career, has made over $156M in all. He is 34 and is mulling a final decision. pic.twitter.com/GqpB5YU3uz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 20, 2026
If the Rams aren’t able to keep Garoppolo out of retirement then the other veteran options available on the free agent market include Russell Wilson, Tyrod Taylor and Cooper Rush. They still have Stetson Bennett under contract, but it’s hard to imagine L.A. feeling comfortable with him being Stafford’s primary backup going into the season.
Could Rams select quarterback in 2926 NFL Draft?
There also, of course, is the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. The Rams are all-in on winning a Super Bowl while Stafford is still playing, so they will likely use all of their picks to surround him with more talent. They could choose to draft a quarterback that they could develop to eventually be Stafford’s successor though with recent reports indicating they have had interest in Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
The NFL Draft is coming up later this week, so they will likely sort out their backup situation after if they do not select a quarterback.
