As the LA Rams prepared for the 2024 NFL season, veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford was unhappy. Unlike some NFL veterans, Stafford did not sit out of training camp. But he did make his dissatisfaction known to the media and to the team. Stafford wanted guaranteed money, healthy or injured. Eventually, the team caved into his demands.
The Rams and Stafford reworked his contract, accelerating his guaranteed money to fall in 2024. Stafford was happy. The team got its starting quarterback to return for 2024. All's well that ends well.
Or does it?
When veteran QB Matthew Stafford arrived to the LA Rams, he not only led the team to a 12-5 record, but he led the team to a 4-0 run in the postseason, culminating with a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23-20.
He pushed teammate WR Cooper Kupp to the brink of setting every NFL All-TIme Single Season receiving record that year. He pushed teammate WR Puka Nacua to set the NFL All-Time Rookie Season receiving records. So yeah, the guy can play.
But let's be fair. It's not all masterclass performances from the wiley gunslinger. If he gets credit for the 4-0 run in the 2022 NFL Playoffs, then he gets toe-tagged for the 1-2 postseason record ever since. If he gets high marks for the Rams 12-5 record in 2021, then he get far lower marks for the team's 22-18 record since that season with Stafford under center.
In 2021, Stafford averaged 255.3 passing yards per game despite being sacked 30 times. in 2024, he could only average 235.1 yards per game, despite being sacked just 28 times. He threw for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions in his first season for the Rams. This season, he's thrown for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Matthew Stafford is a 37-year-old NFL veteran quarterback, and Father Time is catching up with him. Granted, he reportedly cracked four ribs in Week 15 but continued to start as the team's quarterback, and that is amazing. Beyond that, there are ways to rationalize Stafford's regression over 2024. Just examine this clever data table:
The thing is, Stafford has only worked with LA Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua for two seasons. His offenses with the Detroit Lions were not exactly laden with All-Pro talent. Yet his 2024 passing yards per game average clocks in as the fourth worst of his NFL career. His first two seasons were the first and second worst. And his 2022 season ranks as his third worst. The thing is, Stafford is getting too long in the tooth for the team to look the other way any longer.
Rams track record with veteran back-up quarterbacks
Let's tackle this matter from a different angle. Let's suppose that the Rams offense is invariably linked to the elite passing skills and durability of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, as some may believe. It was virtually impossible to challenge that position in the past, as the team was content to back up the quarterback with undrafted and unproven quarterbacks in John Wolford and Bryce Perkins.
That pattern changed in 2022, when Stafford suffered a bruised spinal cord mid season, and the team was forced to start the backups to endure the remainder of the season. Fortunately, the Carolina Panthers released veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield, who the Rams quickly added to the team's roster. Despite no time to prepare, Mayfield showed up and led the team to two victories in five games. He only averaged 170 passing yards per game, but he did throw 82 of 129 passes for 850 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Keep in mind that Mayfield played with an offense that was pretty much in the same spot as he was. There was no continuity on the offensive line, the Rams receivers were banged up, and the running backs were led by RB Cam Akers.
The next season, the Rams signed veteran QB Carson Wentz. Wentz did not see any action with the offense until Week 18 when he started with the team's backups to face the San Francisco 49ers. Wentz was not particularly adept at throwing the football, completing 17 of 24 passes for 163 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. But Wentz could fly. He carried the football 17 times for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Rams fans finally had a chance to witness what a dual-threat quarterback could do in this offense, and it was surprisingly effective.
In 2024, the Rams once again signed a veteran quarterback to back up Matthew Stafford. This time the team brought in former foe, Jimmy Garoppolo. Despite Stafford's cracked ribs, the team did not put Garoppolo on the football field until Week 18. Once again, the offense surrounded Jimmy G with backups. You would expect Garoppolo to struggle.
Think again.
Garoppolo looked like a natural fit in this offense, despite playing with backups. He threw 27 of 41 times for 334 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Puka Nacua did not play. Cooper Kupp did not play. Yet Garoppolo threw for the most passing yards for a Rams quarterback the entire season. And that was against the starting defense of the Seattle Seahawks.
So, what can we take away from this evidence? Clearly, the Rams offense is not custom built to find success exclusively at the hands of Matthew Stafford. Other quarterbacks can win games with this offense. Other quarterbacks can be very productive with this offense.
So now the question becomes: Does Matthew Stafford truly have the team over a barrel if he lingers too long on deciding whether or not he wants to return for 2025?
No, and here's why:
Rams can add competitive QB in 2025 NFL Draft
The LA Rams front office may not be oozing with elite NFL quarterback talent beyond Stafford right now, but I daresay that fans have been overly critical of young NFL quarterback Stetson Bennett. Despite his absence in 2023, Bennett competed in the 2024 NFL preseason and showed up in a big way. His ability allowed him to complete 41 of 69 passes in just two preseason games for 437 passing yards. His inexperience (having missed all of 2023) showed up when he tossed five interceptions.
But his competitive spirit showed up when he threw not one, but two game winning touchdown passes. He sat out the team's third preseason game, but he won both games and led all quarterbacks in passing yards until Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance overtook him with 662 passing yards in three games. Of course, Lance completed 73 of 113 passes to get there, and threw for two touchdowns and five interceptions.
Bennett completed a 47 yard touchdown pass during preseason.
Stetson Bennett will be far more disciplined and refined in 2025. But the team cannot expect Bennett to be the only competition for the quarterback role in the 2025 training camp. While there is not a fever-pitch over the quarterbacks up for draft selection in the 2025 NFL Draft quite yet, there are many intriguing prospects who could find themselves well-suited to drive the Rams' high-powered offense going forward.
And Stafford's reluctance to give the team a firm commitment to return and play in 2025 has crossed the line. The Rams have to add a rookie quarterback to the roster in this draft.
If Stafford returns, great. All is forgiven and the team has a second set of eyes to watch and observe Stafford to aid in their development as an NFL starting quarterback. If Stafford opts out, then the team merely has to sign a competent veteran to set a bar of performance for either a rookie or Stetson Bennett to overcome in order to start for the Rams under center.
The Rams have no chance at selecting one of the top-tier quarterbacks in this rookie class. But I could see the team targeting several prospects in Round 3. In that round, quarterbacks still possess NFL caliber attributes, but need to be coached up to achieve consistent performance at the professional football level. This Rams coaching staff was established with coaching up young quarterbacks in mind.
Did the Rams miss their window to play in the Super Bowl this time around:? Perhaps. But unlike other seasons when other NFL teams cannibalized the Rams coaching staff, free agents signed lucrative contracts to play elsewhere, and a sense of another rebuild in store, the health and continuity of the Rams for 2025 already checks all of the boxes.
The tema made huge strides in both defense and special teams in 2024. Now the team must turn its attention to the offensive side of the football. Based on the team's success with both the 2023 and 2024 NFL Drafts, I admit that I am a bit eager to see how the team approaches the draft this year.
Will the Rams draft a rookie quarterback? While I can't see them selecting one in Round 1, I will be shocked if GM Les Snead does not select one. The team cannot ignore the need at quarterback depth any longer. Even if the team opts for a veteran to bridge the need for now, the positive momentum of this team cannot be halted due to bad planning.
As always, thanks for reading.
