Why Matthew Stafford is so important to the Rams’ future

The Rams are in great shape for now but if Matthew Stafford’s play fell off it could be tough

The Rams are in the driver’s seat to be a force in the NFC offensively but that of course all revolves around Matthew Stafford. Stafford has shown no sign of slowing down and has not teased retirement. However, if he were to retire after the season here are all of the potential options for the Rams in the next year.

In-House: Stetson Bennett

There isn’t much waiting to be the heir to Stafford’s proverbial throne for the Rams. While I like Stetson Bennett and believe he could start in a pinch when he’s at his best, I question his ability to be a full season long starter and a big reason is because he’s never played in an NFL regular season game before.

2024 NFL Draft Options: Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix, Spencer Rattler & More

We have to kick this thing off the right way. There’s an NFL Draft happening in two weeks that could very well answer the question we are asking in this piece. With that said, I have to go on record saying that I do not think Stafford is close to done and I do not think the Rams should take a quarterback.

Anyway, Penix Jr. has been linked to the Rams as much as Bo Nix. These are two quarterbacks that are being highly touted in the range of a first round pick or second round at the lowest. I like Spencer Rattler if the Rams were looking for a day two option but I still wouldn’t take a quarterback after getting Stetson Bennett’s commitment this year and signing Jimmy Garoppolo.

Then after those guys you have Michael Pratt and Jordan Travis. The last is really small in my opinion on who the Rams would select at quarterback should they chose one. I don’t think this is much of an option but if they did select a quarterback it would tell us at least one of two things: Stetson Bennett’s job is not safe and/or Matthew Stafford has told the team he will be hanging up his cleats soon. I think neither are true.

2025 NFL Free Agency: Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Justin Fields & More

The Rams if put in this position would have the opportunity to do something hilarious and that would be re-signing Jared Goff after they traded him away for their quarterback who in this case would have retired and won them a Super Bowl. Odds are Goff doesn’t want to go back to the Rams after what happened, Sean McVay would not want to work with Goff again and the Lions are probably extending him long-term.

Dak Prescott would be a fascinating option. Most of last year he looked like my pick for MVP. He’s a really good quarterback, natural thrower of the football with mobility to boot. He fits the modern day mold for a quarterback but Prescott has yet to win anything of note in the playoffs. Still though, if he was available he’s probably the best bet to replace Stafford and that is a big if, considering that I don’t think the Cowboys let him walk.

Justin Fields is likely to become the starting quarterback of the Steelers but will his fifth-year option be picked up? They should and I kind of expect they will after the NFL Draft. If they don’t, Fields would be a great option. He is the modern day version of Michael Vick. He could add dynamism to this offense that would already have plenty of it.

The rest would be Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson. While all have the potential in my eyes to start in this league, the one that is most fascinating is Garoppolo because the Rams have loaded his contract with incentives to essentially prepare to compensate him like a legitimate starting quarterback should Stafford go down this year. If that did happen, perhaps Garoppolo is already the quarterback of 2025.

NFL Trade Options: Kirk Cousins, Will Levis, Baker Mayfield & Kenny Pickett

Kirk Cousins is a long shot but if the Falcons are somehow a dumpster fire maybe they move him after the year. The Falcons would have to eat a ton of money if they traded him but stranger things have happened and of course Cousins finishing out his career with Sean McVay would be poetic.

Will Levis would be the easiest player to trade and with the new head coach Brian Callahan in Tennessee, the Titans will know after this year whether or not they are sticking with Levis. I think the Rams would definitely have interest in Levis if he was available for any reason.

Baker Mayfield has familiarity from his cup of coffee he shared with the Rams in 2022 which was the year to forget. Baker, however, had a very memorable comeback on Thursday Night Football that watched him drive the entire length of the field to beat the Raiders in the final seconds of the game. Mayfield is a fan favorite and still has plenty of fans in the Rams fandom and in the Rams organization. I wouldn’t be shocked if they made a push to bring him back in this case.

Kenny Pickett is the last option. I don’t know how the Rams feels about him but they watched him look absolutely impeccable in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium last year. Pickett has that it factor you look for. He has the clutch gene even some of the most talented quarterbacks lack. Pickett has been around bad coaching and play-calling his whole career, he could very well be an intriguing option should the Rams pursue him.

2025 NFL Draft Options: Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck, Drew Allar & More

Next year’s quarterback class is being called much weaker than this current one. I personally think this class is overrated and next year’s by the time it rolls around will be underrated but thats just me. Anyway, Deion Sanders’ son Shedeur Sanders intrigues me a ton and could make out to be a very good quarterback. Quinn Ewers is a solid prospect as it stands right now but the guys I’m really honing in on are Carson Beck from Georgia, Drew Allar from Penn State and Jalon Daniels from Kansas.

Beck was ranked as ESPN’s No.5 quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft back in November before he opted to stay another year at Georgia. He has ideal size for the position and does a great job of airing out the football and doing so without turning over the football. He’s a good decision-maker who will be much improved by the next draft.

Allar showed legit NFL starting QB ability this past year when he threw 25 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He’s only 20 years old right now and has everything you would want in a starting NFL quarterback.

Last but not least is Kansas Jayhawk quarterback Jalon Daniels. He doesn’t have the NFL size that Beck and Allar have but he’s a great athlete who can make plays with his legs. His ball placement has gotten better each time he goes out there, he has the instincts you look for. He can work off-script and throw off-platform with ease and he’s so hard to bring down. To boot, Daniels has a clutch gene not every quarterback possesses. He has what it takes to step up in key and critical moments and make plays to win games you probably shouldn’t have even won.

The Bottom Line

I simply don’t think you could get excited for the future after Matthew Stafford this early on. He’s not retiring, I simply do not see it. However, an exercise like this reinforces how valuable he truly is. With these options come a lot of projection, hope and rolling of the dice. If we are being honest no one on this list is better than Matthew Stafford that we know of.

Sure, there’s a chance Penix Jr. or Nix or anyone I listed could explode playing with McVay. However, what we know is the closest thing to having Stafford would be Dak Prescott or Kirk Cousins and neither are guaranteed to win the games that Stafford has shown he can win. In addition, the same can be said for Jared Goff. Enjoy the ride and be happy Stafford isn’t like Aaron Donald who was willing to retire on top with a very likely Super Bowl roster waiting for him.

In doing this and putting together the research, there’s a chance finding Stafford’s successor is going to be very difficult. Maybe that is why the team wanted to trade for Sam Howell “badly” if that’s indeed the case that sure feels like a bad omen of what is to come. However, I’m far from betting against Stafford for starters, Les Snead, Sean McVay and the Rams who since 2017 have really never allowed this team to falter due to lack of talent.