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Sarah Barshop, ESPN Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — On Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams felt they had figured out their backup quarterback situation, an issue that plagued them during the 2022 season when quarterback Matthew Stafford missed significant time with a spinal cord contusion.
They drafted quarterback Stetson Bennett in the fourth round. When coach Sean McVay was asked about having a young quarterback the coaching staff could mold as a backup and perhaps an eventual starter, he said, “Well, I think you’re excited.”
McVay spoke about the chance Bennett would have to learn from Stafford, “a perennial All-Pro, a great football player who’s been doing it at a high level.”
“I think there’ll be a lot of good things that Stetson will be able to see what it looks like,” McVay said.
Instead, Bennett went on the reserve/non-football illness list in September and was not active for a single game. McVay declined to go into details about why Bennett was away from the team and when asked after the season about the quarterback’s status, said, “I think that’s a conversation for another time.”
“I think he’s doing better, but I wouldn’t be in a position to answer that accurately right now,” McVay said. “That’s probably a long way away from me being able to answer that.”
The last two seasons, the Rams have seen just how critical the backup quarterback role is, with Stafford missing eight games in 2022.
And although he missed just one game last season due to injury, it was a game that could have been significant for playoff seeding because it was a loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Rams scored just 3 points with backup quarterback Brett Rypien and cut him after the game. They signed veteran Carson Wentz to back up Stafford.
“I do think it’s important, as we saw in Green Bay, if we can have a backup quarterback that can help us win a game because losing the Green Bay game could have hurt us [in the playoff hunt],” Rams general manager Les Snead said in January.
So if Bennett is not an option next season, what could the Rams do with the No. 2 quarterback spot?
Bring back Wentz
The Rams could bring back Wentz, although he may prefer to be in a spot where he’s competing for a starting job, like Baker Mayfield did last season after spending the end of the 2022 campaign with the Rams.
Wentz started one game for the Rams last season — Week 18 against the San Francisco 49ers — and led Los Angeles to a victory. In the game, one called by offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur with the goal of not putting anything on film against San Francisco in case the teams met in the playoffs, Wentz threw a touchdown and ran for two more. Wentz also finished with a game-high 56 rushing yards.
Draft a quarterback
It seems unlikely the Rams would use a Day 1 or 2 pick on a quarterback given the other spots they have to fill on their roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. While they understand the importance of the role, they also know Stafford is still playing at a high level and want to take advantage of their window to win now.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid ranked the top 12 quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Of those 12, Reid has five projected to be Day 3 picks or sign as undrafted free agents: South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, Tulane’s Michael Pratt, Florida State’s Jordan Travis, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman and Tennessee’s Joe Milton III.
Reid listed Hartman — projected to be a late Day 3 pick — as a potential fit for the Rams.
Bring in a veteran quarterback
The disadvantage, of course, of signing with the Rams is the knowledge that there won’t be a competition for a starting spot. But, the Rams have been an attractive spot for veteran quarterbacks the past two seasons, and there are several who might benefit from a year with McVay and Stafford.
Free agent options
An option already on the roster
The Rams do have another quarterback on the roster: Dresser Winn, who was with Los Angeles during the 2023 offseason training camp and re-signed with the team in January to back up Wentz against San Francisco.
However, it’s more likely the Rams keep Winn as their third-string quarterback — either carrying three quarterbacks or keeping him on the practice squad — than having him start the season as their No. 2 option.