Are Rams Hinting at Quarterback Strategy Ahead of NFL Draft?

One of the biggest question marks on the Los Angeles Rams roster heading into the NFL Draft remains at backup quarterback. On one hand, it’s a positive thing that one of the highest priorities for the Rams is who will be backing up Matthew Stafford. It’s a testament to how strong the roster is at this point in the offseason. At the same time, the Rams will want to avoid a Brett Rypien situation in 2023 when they didn’t have a solid plan behind Stafford and fell to the Green Bay Packers.

It’s very possible that the Rams simply re-sign Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has been a good backup option over the last two seasons. Head Sean McVay may value experience here as the Rams were reportedly interested in Kirk Cousins.

With that said, Cousins has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. The fact that Garoppolo remains unsigned speaks volumes for how the Rams may be planning to address the backup quarterback position. If the priority was to bring Garoppolo back, there’s no reason the Rams wouldn’t have done so by now unless they are planning to draft one in two weeks.

The 2026 quarterback class is not as good as initially thought. Players such as Garrett Nussmeier and Drew Allar took massive steps back. Ty Simpson declined as the season went on at Alabama and is inexperienced. LaNorris Sellers, Dante Moore, and Arch Manning all returned to school for another season.

Despite that, it might also be an opportunity for the Rams to zig while the rest of the league zags. There may be value at the quarterback position where other teams don’t necessarily see it.

This isn’t to say that the Rams will or should take Ty Simpson 13th overall. If they have conviction and he is their guy, they absolutely should consider it. However, it’s not something that they should force either. The last thing the Rams want is to be forced into taking a quarterback like the Pittsburgh Steelers were in 2022 when they took Kenny Pickett. The Rams still have flexibility here.

However, the Rams are selecting 13th overall and this is a team whose first-round pick has consistently fallen in the back half of the first round. The only reason that the Rams are selecting at 13 is because of a trade they made last year with the Atlanta Falcons.

While next year’s quarterback class looks better, the Rams likely aren’t going to be picking inside the top 10 to select one of the top signal-callers. Simpson may provide good value as a quarterback who fits the offense and wouldn’t need to start right away. The Alabama quarterback may be inexperienced, but with the ability to sit behind Matthew Stafford he would get the mental reps that he wouldn’t necessarily get if he’s drafted by a team like the New York Jets or Arizona Cardinals.

Even if the Rams don’t have interest in Simpson, this is a conversation that goes beyond the first round. Quarterbacks such as Nussmeier and Allar may not have developed this year, but their offensive infrastructures weren’t ideal either. In Nussmeier’s case, he is another quarterback that plays with rhythm, fits within the scheme, and has shown the ability to layer throws.

This is a team that doesn’t make their draft meetings public and is very selective when it comes to the prospects that they do meet with. It’s notable that they had an in-person meeting with Nussmeier during the draft process.

Nussmeier has a past connection to the Rams as well. Back in 2006, Scott Linehan brought on Doug Nussmeier as the team’s quarterback coach. Garrett Nussmeier only would have been four years old at the time, but there is some history.

Again, that’s not to say that the Rams will draft Nussmeier. At the same time, the meeting with Nussmeier in combination with Garoppolo remaining unsigned shows that the Rams are showing interest in this quarterback class. It’s very possible that Stafford’s backup is a rookie from this class.

Not rushing to sign Garoppolo gives the Rams options. They can always wait and see how the draft unfolds to bring Garoppolo back. Other teams certainly aren’t rushing to sign him either, and any starting opportunity seems non-existent at this point. If the Rams are unable to select a rookie quarterback that they are comfortable with, the option should still be there to go back to the safe option and sign Garoppolo after the draft.

Stetson Bennett remains in the picture, but his presence doesn’t prevent the Rams from drafting a quarterback. Promoting Bennett as the full-time backup behind Stafford seems unlikely.

The 2026 quarterback class might not be anything special, but everything that the Rams have done in the offseason to this point shows that they might at least be intrigued. Nussmeier, Allar, and Cade Klubnik were considered first-round talents a year ago and can be had in the middle rounds. There is potential value to be had at the quarterback position.

Between the Rams not rushing to re-sign Garoppolo in combination with their in-person meeting with Nussmeier, this front office is giving signals for what they might do at quarterback. While they may not take a quarterback at 13, the Rams could seriously consider it at some point in the draft.