It’s never a good sign when a franchise has to turn to their backup quarterback but in the same breath, backup quarterbacks have helped write the history of the NFL.
Whether it’s Doug Williams in Super Bowl XXII, Jeff Hostetler in Super Bowl XXV, or Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII, backup QBs have come in and led their teams to championship glory.
However, the Rams do not have the caliber of gunslinger needed at the backup position to win if Matthew Stafford goes down. As of right now, the Rams’ QB room consists of Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, who is suspended for the first two games of the regular season, Stetson Bennett, who spent 2023 away from the team, and Dresser Winn, who spent 2023 with the Rams on the practice squad and the Edmonton Elks.
Garoppolo has been getting flamed on Netflix’s “Receiver” series, seemingly becoming enemy No. 1 for former teammate Davante Adams due to his carelessness on ball placement and his propensity to throw hospital balls. That’s not exactly promising when one considers the fact that Cooper Kupp spent the beginning of the season on the sidelines due to injury.
In 2023, Garoppolo had six starts with the Raiders before his benching. He averaged 200 yards per game and was leading the league in interceptions. He’s perfect for the locker room and to spill secrets on the Shanahan offense but as QB2, he’s very worrisome.
Bennett has potential but the lack of practice time has severely hindered his growth process. A perfect passer if the Rams wanted to dink and dunk the ball but with McVay’s love of medium crossing routes, Bennett has yet to show the ability to hit those receivers in stride.
Winn has had a rough start to his pro career. A preseason cut in 2023 by the Rams, he would sign with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL before being released. Winn never played a snap. Now, he’s back and from all accounts, he’s far away from being NFL-ready. He just doesn’t have the tools, tape or experience to claim the QB2 spot.
So with all this negativity surrounding Garoppolo, and with Carson Wentz – the Rams’ 2023 backup – now playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, where could the Rams go from here?
There’s one name that sticks out and it’s Ryan Tannehill. The athletic QB revived his career in Tennessee and despite being 35, he’s displayed the mobile ability that made him so dangerous throughout portions of his career.
Tannehill is perfect because he plays within the structure of the offense but is able to make throws off-schedule. He’s athletic enough that the Rams could design packages around him if they so desire and he’s cheap. He’s been in the backup position before and he contributes.
Even if Tannehill isn’t a needle-mover, outside of Stafford, he’d be the best QB on the roster. Regardless, moves have to be made and they need to be made now.
