Los Angeles Rams: Who’s the Best Fit for QB2 in the 2024 Season?

Los Angeles Rams Backup QB Options for 2024 Season

A variety of QB2 options for 2024 appear to be in play, including 1) re-signing Carson Wentz, the Rams most recent QB2; 2) developing Stetson Bennett, the Rams fourth-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft; 3) signing one of the remaining available free agent QBs; 4) utilizing a draft pick to select a QB; and 5) trading for a QB. Let’s take a look at the possible candidates/options to fill the position:

1. Carson Wentz

The Rams signed Carson Wentz in the middle of the 2023 season, and the Rams would happily welcome him back in that role in the 2024 season. However, Wentz is a free agent.

Wentz was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, one year with the Indianapolis Colts ( 2021 season ), followed by one season with the Washington Commanders ( 2022 season), before joining the Rams in 2023. Out of the 95 NFL games in which Wentz has played during his career, he started 93 of those games.

Stafford sat out of the Rams’ 2023 season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, and Wentz led the Rams to victory in the game. To some, it appeared Wentz, with McVay’s blessing, was auditioning for a future starting role (somewhere in the NFL) in that season finale. Wentz was impressive in that game, leading the Rams in both passing and rushing yards.

Turf Show Times makes the case that Wentz’s best option is to return to the Rams in 2024, and that, likewise, the Rams’ best option for the backup quarterback position is to re-sign Wentz.

2. Stetson Bennett

In 2021, Stetson Bennett took over the Georgia Bulldogs starting QB role from JT Daniels, and then went on to lead the Bulldogs to two consecutive NCAA championships. Bennett was named the Offensive MVP of both championship games.

In January 2023, Bennett was arrested in Dallas, Texas, on public intoxication charges. Video footage of the arrest was released in early April 2023.

On April 29, 2023, the Los Angeles Rams selected Stetson Bennett in the fourth found of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Bennett’s career in the NFL got off to a shaky start. As reported by NFC West Writer Eric Williams of Fox Sports:

“During training camp, Bennett at times made plays but struggled during exhibition play, completing just 50% of his passes for 347 yards, with a touchdown and three interceptions in three preseason games.

“He missed L.A.’s season-opening [victory] against the Seahawks for what the team reported [to be] a right shoulder injury. The following week, he was placed on the non-football injury/illness list for the rest of the season for an undisclosed reason.”

To this day, there is “mystery surrounding the future of Stetson Bennett.” He remains on the Rams’ non-football injury/illness list. His actual status has been a very well-kept secret.

3. Available Free Agent QBs

23 out of the 29 NFL quarterbacks who are available in the 2024 free agent market remain available, as of early in the day on March 12, 2024: Those 23 QBs (with their ages specified parenthetically), including Carson Wentz, are:

1. Brandon Allen (31 yrs.)
2. Kyle Allen (28 yrs.)
3. Matt Barkley (33 yrs.)
4. Teddy Bridgewater (31 yrs.)
5. Sam Darnold (26 yrs.)
6. Joshua Dobbs (29 yrs.)
7. Joe Flacco (39 yrs.)
8. Feleipe Franks (26 yrs.)
9. Blaine Gabbert (34 yrs.)
10. Garrett Gilbert (32 yrs.)
11. Brian Hoyer (38 yrs.)
12. Tyler Huntley (26 yrs.)
13. Josh Johnson (37 yrs.)
14. Drew Lock (27 yrs.)
15. Marcus Mariota (30 yrs.)
16. A.J. McCarron (33 yrs.)
17. Mason Rudolph (28 yrs.)
18. Trevor Siemian (32 yrs.)
19. Easton Stick (28 yrs.)
20. Nate Sudfeld (30 yrs.)
21. Ryan Tannehill (35 yrs.)
22. Carson Wentz (31 yrs.)
23. Logan Woodside (29 yrs.)

Of course, the Rams need to consider all of these options. Perhaps Sam Darnold would be a good fit. He was a capable backup QB for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 season, and returning to Los Angeles, where he quarterbacked the USC Trojans in 2016 and 2017, might be a mutual good fit. Plus, Darnold is only 26 years old.

4. Draft Pick

FanNation Ram Digest assesses the prospects of using one of the Rams’ draft picks on a QB:

“Of course, it is unlikely the Rams will have a shot at one of the top QBs in the class such as Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.

“However, there [are] still [plenty] … of talented passers that they will have the opportunity to choose from as early as Round 1, including Heisman finalists Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr., as well as Michigan star and national title winner, J.J. McCarthy.

“And if they chose to … address the need later, Tulane’s Michael Pratt, Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, and Tennessee’s Joe Milton could also be options.

A FanSided mock draft has the Rams selecting Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis in the fifth round.

Yahoo Sports suggests Spencer Rattler might be a particularly good fit for the Rams:

“Spencer Rattler of South Carolina is a mid-round prospect who could fit nicely in Los Angeles. Few, if any quarterbacks have improved their stock more than Rattler during the pre-draft process, particularly after his impressive showing at the Senior Bowl.

“At the NFL combine on Friday, Rattler was asked about Stafford and mentioned that he’s a quarterback he tries to model his game after.”

“It’s difficult to predict where exactly Rattler will be drafted, but he could be a Day 2 selection as a third-rounder. That shouldn’t be too early for the Rams to select a quarterback, especially knowing they have that third-round compensatory pick for losing Raheem Morris. Maybe that’s the sweet spot for them to select a signal caller.

“Last season at South Carolina, he threw for 3,186 yards and 19 touchdowns, cutting down on the interceptions by tossing just eight picks. After a shaky tenure at Oklahoma, he improved significantly at South Carolina and could wind up being a solid pro.”

In any event, the 2024 NFL draft features “a strong QB class from top to bottom.” So, the draft may be the route the Rams choose to take to obtain their 2024 QB2.

5. Trade

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler floated the possibility of NY Jets QB Zach Wilson coming to the Rams via trade. Wilson is looking to “revive his career,” and the Rams offense, led by Sean McVay, could be a good landing spot for Wilson, according to Fowler.

QB2 Is a Need the Los Angeles Rams Must Address

Sports analysts believe it is imperative for the Rams to bring in a competent QB2 for the 2024 season. Likewise, as reported by Yahoo Sports, “Both Sean McVay and Les Snead have emphasized the Los Angeles Rams’ need to find a backup quarterback this offseason.” As demonstrated by the discussion above, the Rams have a variety of intriguing options before them to address this critical need.