The Rams have an extremely inexperienced quarterback room behind 38-year-old starter Matthew Stafford, but they are not planning to add a veteran backup before the season.
“That’s not something that we’ve really talked about as of right now,” head coach Sean McVay said (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop). “I would never rule it out, but not right now, that hasn’t been something that we’ve talked about.”
Stafford has amassed 239 starts, almost 15,000 snaps, and more than 9,000 passing attempts in his 17-year career. 2023 fourth-round pick Stetson Bennett has yet to play a down of regular season football; obviously, the same is true of rookies Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell. The Rams had Jimmy Garoppolo as their backup for the last three years, but the 34-year-old is considering retirement. Should he opt to stay in the league, re-signing with Los Angeles would seem to be the most sensible option, though Garoppolo could also follow ex-Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to Arizona, where the Cardinals are engaged in a contract dispute with (current) starter Jacoby Brissett.
QB pickings are slim in the free agent market. A number of veteran journeymen who have largely served as third- or fourth-stringers like John Wolford, Brett Rypien, and Jeff Driskel are available. Cooper Rush remains unsigned after his disastrous 2025 stint in Baltimore, and Russell Wilson will not be pried out of retirement for a backup job.
The Rams see Simpson as Stafford’s long-term successor, but it is not clear if he will be his short-term backup. There are certainly advantages to giving young quarterbacks playing time to help them adjust to the NFL, but throwing them into the deep end too early can also affect their confidence.
Bennett might be ready for the backup role after a much-improved showing in the 2025 preseason. In the two years prior, he completed 77 of his 131 attempts for 784 yards, three touchdowns, and eight interceptions, good for a 58.8% completion rate, 6.0 yards per attempt, and a 58.2 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Last year, he completed 44 of his 64 passes for 512 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions, which translates into a 68.8% completion rate, 8.0 yards per attempt, and a 105.7 passer rating.
Caldwell played at four different schools during his collegiate career with his most playing time coming at Troy in 2024. Last year, he served as Arch Manning‘s backup at Texas, making him an extremely long shot to compete for the Rams’ backup job this year. Just hanging around on the practice squad would be an accomplishment, though it’s hard to see Caldwell as much more than a camp arm at present.
The Rams will want to consider their QB2 situation carefully. Stafford has dealt with a number of injuries in recent years, though he has not missed significant time since 2022. Trades for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett this offseason made it clear that the team is intent on bringing another Lombardi Trophy to Los Angeles. Missed time from Stafford without a stable backup situation could threaten their Super Bowl hopes.
The Rams will manage Stafford’s workload during training camp, which will open up reps for Bennett and Simpson. Presumably, they will be battling for the backup gig, though the team may already have an internal favorite. That will give McVay a chance to assess both young passers and determine if he needs to add a veteran to the room. That would create a roster crunch at the position unless Los Angeles is comfortable moving on from Bennett (or hoping he can sneak through waivers and return via the practice squad). Garoppolo’s retirment decision could also change McVay’s tune, but they seem likely to stand pat until training camp opens in late July.
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