Matthew Stafford has made it clear that he intends on returning next season so there are no questions about who will be the Los Angeles Rams’ starting quarterback. The same can’t be said about the backup quarterback spot, however.
Brett Rypien did little to inspire confidence and while Carson Wentz was solid in his Week 17 start, he was only on a minimum contract and will likely be gone this offseason if there’s another opportunity elsewhere. The Rams will have some options to explore for the backup quarterback spot and an intriguing player could be New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.
The former BYU star has shown flashes of the talent that made him the second overall pick in 2021 and a Hall of Famer believes joining the Rams could be the best move for him. In an appearance on the Adam Schefter podcast, ESPN analyst Steve Young feels that Wilson going to the Rams under Stafford and Sean McVay would be perfect:
“To me, the place he needs to be is in L.A. Go with Sean McVay, follow Stafford and just sit there and watch the magic and then see if you can pick it up. If you can, then you can be one of the best because you have the talent for it. But he has to get to one of those spots.”
Young would continue, noting that joining the Rams with an innovative offensive mind like McVay would get the best out of Wilson:
“There’s these innovative minds taking advantage of the rule changes. He needs to get to one of those spots. He needs to join forces. If we’re going to see anything out of Zach Wilson into the future, he needs to get away from these places that are not quarterback-friendly.”
It hasn’t been good for Wilson in his three NFL seasons so far. He is 12-21 as a starter completing just 57% of his passes with 23 touchdowns to 25 interceptions. There have been times where he has made good things happen, but far too often has been a liability.
But Young is right in that pairing up with a brilliant offensive mind like a Sean McVay is his best chance at fulfilling his potential. Whether the Rams would have interest is a completely different question, but it might be something worth keeping an eye on.
2023 Rams helped Sean McVay ‘find my way again’
If Zach Wilson were to join the Rams, he would be coming into a rejuvenated Sean McVay. The Rams coach flirted with retirement, but after this past season and with this group of players, McVay thanked them for helping him to find his way again and why he loved the game.
“You know the finality of it is still…it doesn’t totally resonate, but man did I learn a lot, and really appreciate this group. You know, they…they helped me find my way again, and how much I love this.”
Now McVay will be ready to go moving forward and continue to get the best out of every player on the roster.
