Should Matthew Stafford’s level of play deter Rams from drafting a quarterback?

Matthew Stafford played at a top-5 level in 2023. Should that deter Rams from drafting a quarterback?

The Los Angeles Rams will have a decision to make when it comes to the quarterback position this offseason. In what is a good quarterback class, especially in the first three rounds, the Rams will need to decide whether or not they should or it’s worth it to draft an heir to Matthew Stafford.

None of that decision-making process has anything to do with quarterback Matthew Stafford and how he played last season. Stafford showed throughout the year that he can still play at a top-10 level, if not top-5. He consistently made throws that only a select few quarterbacks have the ability of even attempting.

The 33rd Team’s Derrick Klassen ranked Stafford as the fifth best quarterback in the NFL heading into the offseason. Said Klassen,

“Matthew Stafford found a second wind. After a tumultuous, injury-riddle 2022 season, Stafford looked as though he was declining, but he bounced back in a serious way in 2023. Stafford was the epitome of a gunslinger. He sat back in the pocket and fired the ball into tight windows all over the field, often while pressured or finding unique arm angles to get the ball out. He still has a few bizarre misfires a game, same as he ever was, but Stafford’s best plays more than make up for the handful of oopsies. Health permitting, Stafford will remain one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”

The fact of the matter is, Stafford and the Rams have an expiration date and that likely isn’t too far down the road. Stafford has three years left on his current deal and the Rams actually have an ‘out’ in the contract following the 2025 season. It would make sense to at least start preparing for life after Stafford if the scenario allows for it. For the Rams to not even consider a quarterback as an option in the first-round or second-round would be a mistake and not doing their due diligence. That doesn’t mean it needs to be the top priority, but it should at the very least be on the table if the situation calls for it.

It is silly season when it comes to the NFL Draft, but recently there were some rumors that Drake Maye could fall in the draft. According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, out of the first-round quarterbacks, Maye could be the one to fall.

Zierlein tells NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah that of the three quarterbacks at the top of the draft — Maye, USC’s Caleb Williams, and LSU’s Jayden Daniels — the sense he is getting is that Maye could be the one to suffer a slide.

How true that is can be left for debate and it’s still very likely that Maye ends up being drafted within the top-three picks. With that being said, if someone like Maye falls and is within striking distance or JJ McCarthy is available in the second round, those are options that should absolutely be on the table and not dismissed.

Had Will Levis been on the board when the Rams were on the clock last year, that’s something that would have had to be considered. The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t need a quarterback when they drafted Patrick Mahomes and the Green Bay Packers didn’t need a quarterback when they drafted Jordan Love. Yet, both franchises selected a quarterback while planning for the future and it worked out.

The Rams need to be able to balance building for the future and building around the current core of players in a way that best allows them to compete for a championship in their final seasons. The two don’t have to be exclusive. Finding that balance might be difficult, but it’s also the best way forward.

It’s true that Stafford is playing at a top-5 level as Klassen states. However, it is also true that he is an aging quarterback with essentially two more years left on his deal. It will be interesting to see how the Rams address the quarterback position this offseason. Unlike last season, it should be expected for McVay and co. to be prepared in the case that Stafford does go down with an injury. That doesn’t necessarily mean throwing a dart at another day three quarterback and hope their ceiling is “long-term backup”. The odds of finding a Brock Purdy in the seventh-round are very slim.

Again, it’s about finding the balance and at least keeping the option on the table. Stafford is playing well enough that the Rams don’t need to force anything at the quarterback position. At the same time, he’s at a point in his career that looking ahead wouldn’t be a bad idea.