The Los Angeles Rams announced that they have signed quarterback Dresser Winn to their practice squad.
Week 8 couldn’t have gone worse for the Rams as they were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys and fell to 3-5 during the 2023 season.
The Rams fell into a double-digit hole early in the game and never recovered as the offense couldn’t get anything going against the Cowboys defense. Los Angeles did show signs of life in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their slow start.
Aside from the loss, Matthew Stafford also suffered a UCL sprain in his right thumb and was unable to finish the game. Stafford appeared to initially hurt his thumb after hitting a player’s helmet, and then later aggravated it after catching a pass on a two-point conversion.
Sean McVay said that Stafford is considered day-to-day, but in the meantime Los Angeles is bringing in Dresser on the practice squad as a third quarterback.
Winn spent training camp with the Rams, so bringing him back makes sense as he’s already familiar with the system. When Stafford hurt his thumb, Brett Rypien stepped in to replace him and he would presumably be the starter if Stafford is unable to go for Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers.
Stafford’s health has been a question mark since he arrived back in 2021, and it appears that the team is bracing for the possibility he’ll have to miss this week and potentially beyond. With a losing record, there’s a real chance the team could opt to shut him down though that remains to be seen.
This season was about remodeling the roster and figuring out which young pieces the team should keep for the long haul, but it would still be disappointing for the Rams to end the year with their starting quarterback hurt.
Stetson Bennett not likely to return this season
Rypien has been Stafford’s backup all season as Stetson Bennett has been away from the team. After initially being placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, Bennett was later placed on the NFL’s non-football injury list.
Not many details have emerged about Bennett’s absence but McVay did say that it’s unlikely he returns this season.
