National Football League

Rams need succession plan for QB Matthew Stafford: NFC West Stock Watch

Published Nov. 2, 2023 2:23 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Rams could be without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford for the first time this season, as he nurses a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in the right thumb suffered in L.A.'s Week 8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

At 35 years old, Stafford is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He missed the last seven games of the 2022 season with a bruised spinal cord and also dealt with concussion and lingering elbow issues.

Brett Rypien is in line to get his first start of the season if Stafford can't go. The Rams also signed Dresser Winn to the practice squad as a potential backup on Sunday on the road against the Green Bay Packers.

The Rams tried to bring back John Wolford, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed the Wake Forest product from the team's practice squad to the active roster.

Los Angeles has no long-term answer at the position should the team choose to move on from Stafford, or he retires at the end of the year. Baker Mayfield played well for L.A. at the end of last season, but he signed with Tampa Bay in free agency because he wanted a chance to compete for a starting job.

The Rams drafted Stetson Bennett as a potential developmental prospect in the fourth round of this year's draft, but he's been on the non-football injury list with an undisclosed issue all season.

Stafford can still play and be effective, when healthy. He still has good arm strength, decent movement skills and can put the ball on time and on target. But the injuries are piling up, and it's fair to wonder how long he can stay healthy and continue to play at a high level. Along with the thumb injury, Stafford has played through a hip contusion this season.

Stafford's 42 interceptions since 2020 are second only to Buffalo QB Josh Allen's 47. Older quarterbacks tend to turn the ball over more as their athleticism wanes, speeding up the clock for them to get rid of the football.

Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have done a good job of turning the roster over, getting younger and more talented players like wide receiver Puka Nacua on offense and pass-rusher Byron Young on defense while still staying competitive. However, this offseason they must address the quarterback position in a meaningful way with an eye toward the future, through the draft, trade or free agency. For now, Stafford remains a productive bridge quarterback if he can stay healthy.

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Here is this week's NFC West Stock Watch, featuring Stafford on the downside.

RISING

Boye Mafe, Seahawks

With linebacker Uchenna Nwosu done for the year due to a pectoral injury that required surgery, Mafe has picked up the slack. He finished with eight combined tackles and a sack in Seattle's comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns last week.

Mafe has a sack in five consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history. The Seahawks made a trade for defensive lineman Leonard Williams this week to boost the pass rush for a defense that has emerged as one of the better groups in the NFL this season. The development of players like Mafe is a main reason for that.

Pete Carroll, Seahawks

Give the 72-year-old head coach credit. Few NFL observers expected Carroll to have Seattle back at the top of the NFC West so soon after trading Russell Wilson last year. But Carroll has quickly rebuilt Seattle into a Super Bowl contender.

We'll see if he can keep the Seahawks there. Seattle's schedule in November is daunting – at Baltimore, vs. Washington, at the Rams, vs. San Francisco and at Dallas. Then games in December that await include a road contest against the 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles coming to town.

Joshua Dobbs, Vikings

Yes, Arizona went 1-7 with Dobbs as the team's starter. However, the Cardinals battled and were competitive for the most part in every game.

Dobbs gets a chance to continue playing, with the Cardinals trading the Tennessee product to the Minnesota Vikings to help replace Kirk Cousins, out for the rest of the season with an Achilles tear. One dynamic Dobbs adds for Minnesota is his ability to make plays with his feet. Dobbs is third among quarterbacks with 258 rushing yards.

FALLING

Matthew Stafford, Rams

One reason the Rams chose not to put Stafford on the injured reserve list, which would require the veteran quarterback to miss at least four games, is that McVay believes his team still has a shot to get back into the playoff conversation in the second half of the season.

At 3-5, the Rams are game behind the Vikings for the final wild-card spot in the NFC.

"You feel really excited about this opportunity this week, get the bye, and then you come back for the last eight games and see what we can do with it where there's a lot of football left to be played," McVay told reporters this week.

Isaiah Oliver, 49ers

While the 49ers made a big move at the trade deadline to improve the team's pass rush with the addition of Chase Young, San Francisco could also use some help in the back end defensively.

According to Next Gen Stats, Oliver, the team's slot defender, allowed seven catches on seven targets for 57 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the nearest defender against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. While one of the better tacklers in the run game at defensive back, Oliver has been a target of opposing offenses in the pass game.

Did the 49ers win the trade deadline with acquisition of Chase Young?

Drake Jackson, 49ers

The second-year pro out of USC had three sacks in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers but hasn't notched one since.

And with the addition of Randy Gregory and Young through trades, Jackson's opportunities to get on the field are shrinking. He played just 10 defensive snaps against the Bengals last week.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.