The Los Angeles Rams’ plan to add a backup quarterback behind Matthew Stafford is getting more and more desperate with Kirk Cousins off the board.
Jun 3, 2025; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (left), Jimmy Garoppolo (center) and Stetson Bennett throw the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Rams revealed that they are still in search of a backup quarterback. Matthew Stafford stayed healthy for all of last season, but there’s no guarantee of that happening next year.
Head coach Sean McVay said that they have had conversations with Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo, both of whom have plenty of experience and prior relationships with McVay. However, that plan got partly ruined by Kirk Cousins signing with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday.
As we get closer to the draft and the start of OTAs, the Rams’ backup options are getting smaller and smaller.
Jimmy Garoppolo or bust for Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are looking for an experienced option behind Stafford to keep the offense running in case of emergency. That rules out a rookie (thankfully).
However, the “experienced” backup options are running fairly thin as it stands right now. Here are the available free agent quarterbacks still left standing:
Aaron Rodgers
Russell Wilson
Jimmy Garoppolo
Tyrod Taylor
Cooper Rush
Brandon Allen
John Wolford
Easton Stick
Brett Rypien
Skylar Thompson
Will Grier
Jeff Driskel
I don’t know about you, but Jimmy Garoppolo is significantly more appealing than the rest of the field to me.
However, he is apparently “fielding numerous offers”. Yet, the number of starting jobs out there is next to none outside of Pittsburgh, seemingly ruling him out of a better position than the Rams can offer as the primary backup.
If they can’t get a deal done with Garoppolo, the Rams might have to get desperate. A few years ago, they tried to trade for Sam Howell before he ended up in Seattle. Perhaps they would try another one like that? They don’t have a ton of capital, but a Day 3 pick has often been enough.
Could Will Levis be the target? Anthony Richardson? Davis Mills? J.J. McCarthy? None of those are really experienced, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
All of this is to say: The Rams should do whatever it takes to bring Jimmy Garoppolo back to Los Angeles ASAP.
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