Although the 2025 NFL regular season hasn’t even started yet, a lot of teams could have quarterback questions after this year.

The Los Angeles Rams are one of those teams. Not only does Matthew Stafford not have any guaranteed money on his contract after this season, but Jimmy Garoppolo is also an impending free agent. That leaves either bringing back a 38-year-old Stafford or 34-year-old Garoppolo, or promoting Stetson Bennett to QB1. The other option is acquiring in a new starter from the draft, free agency or a trade.

Advertisement

Those are a lot of options. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr wondered about another quarterback who the Rams reportedly considered if they didn’t bring Stafford back: Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old is on a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Orr suggested that L.A. could kick the tires on Rodgers again in 2026 if the former MVP doesn’t retire.

One aspect of this offseason I noted was Rodgers’s seeming eagerness to play for one of the truly elite play-callers in the NFL: Kevin O’Connell. I do wonder if the Rams and Stafford separate, if Rodgers would decide to essentially perform a one-year residency at SoFi Stadium with Sean McVay, like he would have in 2025 if the Rams had traded Stafford to the Giants or the Raiders.

In terms of value, a productive Rodgers is unmatched in the veteran space. He’s playing for $13.6 million, with a cap hit just slightly larger. This allows for a team to do what the Jets and Steelers attempted in subsequent seasons—stack the remainder of the roster and load up on veteran talent to maximize the quarterback’s remaining window. With Davante Adams already in place with the Rams, the sojourn will become interesting fodder once the 2025 season ends, assuming Rodgers still has the itch to play.

This idea is likely laughable unless a litany of events happens: 1) Stafford truly does leave, 2) Garoppolo costs too much in free agency and 3) Bennett isn’t seen as a starting-caliber player. This would also mean the Rams don’t see any other viable starters in the market worthy of taking over at their preferred price. That part, though, is at least plausible considering the Rams will have to pay Puka Nacua, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and plan for a Jared Verse extension. As Corr noted, Rodgers wouldn’t cost a lot and would be a bargain if he he plays at an elite level.

The only way this suggestion makes any sense is if the Rams still draft a rookie quarterback in 2026 and play to sit him behind a veteran — in this case, Rodgers. The second Adams reunion is an intriguing sideplot, too, since Adams wants to retire after his time with the Rams anyway and said he didn’t regret his first reunion with Rodgers on the New York Jets.

The Rams don’t need to be thinking about this for at least another six months, though. For now, the team is focused on the 2025 season and contending for a Super Bowl. But on the horizon is a looming quarterback question that McVay and company will eventually need to answer.

Advertisement

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Could Aaron Rodgers play for the Rams in 2026?