Oct 7, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches from the sideline during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

How the Rams Can Take Advantage of Backup QB Woes

Originally posted on Los Angeles Rams on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Los Angeles Rams have begun their 2025 campaign with flying colors. They're 2 - 0 against a Houston Texans defense that's one of the best in the league, and a Tennessee Titans team they should've dominated against, and did.

Their next opponent on the schedule is the Philadelphia Eagles, and that game will be an early-season test to see how ready the Rams are to take that next step as contenders. However, week two didn't treat every team the same.

Trouble in the Jungle

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There has always been a certain component of luck when it comes to the NFL, and the Cincinnati Bengals have been extremely unlucky when it comes to their injury history in the past couple of seasons.

Their franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, will be out for the next three months due to him requiring surgery on his toe. This is now the third major injury in Burrow's career, and to a different part of his body. His poor offensive line shares a large part of the blame, and now the Bengals are left at a crossroads as to what to do with a 2 - 0 record and no franchise quarterback.

Potential Trade?

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John Breech is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and after it was announced that Burrow would be out for the majority of the season, he made a list compiling some of the most eligible backups in the league that the Bengals could trade for.

With the Rams having the best backup quarterback in the NFL, it's no surprise that Jimmy Garoppolo's name was on the list for potential trade targets.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"The veteran QB comes with two major upsides: He has plenty of big-game experience and he would also come dirt cheap. He's on a one-year deal with a base salary of just $1.25 million, so the Bengals could easily let him walk after the 2025 season", said Breech.

Garoppolo fits all the criteria for what the Bengals would be looking for, but I doubt the Rams would be willing to let him go for less than a first or second-round draft pick. Matthew Stafford has been playing phenomenally, but he still has an injury risk to consider due to his age. While an intriguing possibility, I doubt the Rams and Bengals would come to an agreement on what's a fair price for Garoppolo.

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This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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