Rams Rumors

Rams’ Aaron Donald Announces Retirement

MARCH 27: Details of a Donald restructure surfaced shortly before the all-time great’s retirement announcement. Information about how much dead money the Rams will eat has since emerged.

Due to void years proration, the Rams will eat approximately $24MM in dead money this year and $9MM in 2025, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. The Rams did not exercise Donald’s 2024 option bonus, but the void years utilized — as was the case on the Buccaneers’ payroll when Tom Brady retired — will create considerable dead money.

MARCH 15: Aaron Donald threatened retirement two years ago, leading to a monster contract. The superstar defender played two seasons on that deal. Despite the second of those producing yet another first-team All-Pro honor, the all-time great announced Friday he will walk away from the game.

The Rams icon confirmed he is retiring after 10 seasons. This bombshell announcement will certainly wound the Rams’ defense, as Donald is among the greatest defenders in NFL history. The 10-year veteran will step away from football at just 32.

While this comes as a surprise, Donald has accomplished just about everything he could in the NFL. The 2014 first-round pick stampeded to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, matched Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only three-time Defensive Player of the Year honorees and led the way in the Rams winning Super Bowl LVI. Donald’s 2023 rebound from a high ankle sprain produced his eighth first-team All-Pro honor, tying Reggie White and Bruce Smith for the most by a D-lineman in NFL history.

A year after his retirement threat produced a three-year, $95MM raise — an unprecedented move considering three years remained on the extension Donald signed in 2018 — the Pittsburgh alum said he was not considering retirement in 2023. But Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes this announcement does not come as a shock to the Rams’ coaches and front office staff. One season remained on Donald’s contract, which he restructured recently.

It is certainly arguable Donald is the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history. Offensive linemen did not enjoy the freedom they do now when tasked with blocking the likes of Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen and Alan Page, though those All-Century-teamers are firmly in the conversation. And rule changes have given offenses advantages they did not have in past eras. Donald reached unrivaled heights in a 10-year career; as injuries slowed Watt’s historic surge, Donald had no peer among modern D-linemen.

The great players in our league elevate the people around them and Aaron has modeled the way for our team as long as I’ve been with the Rams,” head coach Sean McVay said. “He’s an elite competitor, someone who leads by example in a way that’s authentic to him, and an exceptional teammate who inspires everyone around him to be the best version of themselves.”

The lightning-quick DT will retire with 111 career sacks and 176 tackles for loss. The 2014 first-rounder only sustained one notable injury as a pro — the 2022 ankle ailment; otherwise, his dominance lasted uninterrupted for a decade. Donald collected Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017, 2018 and 2020, being the best player on two Rams Super Bowl teams and leading the way in preserving the franchise’s first Los Angeles-based title since 1951. Donald sacked Joe Burrow twice in Super Bowl LVI, and his fourth-down pressure cemented the team’s first Super Bowl win in 22 years.

Standing just 6-foot-1, Donald lasted until the No. 13 pick in 2014. The Les Snead-Jeff Fisher regime nabbed him there during the Rams’ penultimate year in St. Louis. Donald did not begin his career as a starter, but it became quickly apparent what kind of player the team had acquired. Donald moved into the St. Louis starting lineup in Week 5, never looking back.

Prior to 2022, Donald’s only previous absences came due to a 2017 holdout. Seeking an extension before his fourth season, the Pittsburgh native skipped training camp and sat out Week 1. Donald did report without an extension, with the Rams waiving his fines (when that was allowed under the 2011 CBA), but scored a record-setting payday a year later. Soon after the Bears extended Khalil Mack, the Rams gave Donald a six-year, $135MM extension with $50MM guaranteed at signing. Donald remained the top D-line earner throughout that contract, but after edge rushers began to surpass his deal by a notable margin, the 2022 retirement threat emerged.

Donald retirement noise stopped via the Rams contract agreement that June, but he had gone so far as to send the team a retirement letter that offseason. Before Donald’s 2022 contract came to pass, Rams brass had discussed how they would celebrate the unrivaled DT if he did step away. Those conversations will need to be revisited, as few players will have ever required a shorter Hall of Fame argument when that time comes. Donald will join Jason Kelce as Canton-bound players to retire this year. Donald made $171MM over his career.

Coming back from the ankle malady, Donald played in 17 games and notched eight sacks and 23 QB hits. Illustrating what the Rams are losing, ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted Donald first among D-tackles; Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best interior D-lineman. While Chris Jones has produced better pass-rushing numbers over the past two years, the Chiefs standout — who used Donald’s framework to craft a contract bringing a staggering $95.3MM in practical guarantees — his two first-team All-Pros are six off Donald’s pace. Donald ripped off seven straight such honors from 2015-21, peaking with a 20.5-sack season in 2018. The Rams booked a Super Bowl LIII berth that year.

In 2022, the Rams also rewarded Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp with extensions. Their 2023 offseason brought skepticism about playoff chances, with the exits of several Super Bowl LVI starters — including Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Floyd — leaving Donald to join a host of unproven defenders. Multiple rookies stepped up, but Donald’s presence has aided numerous players — including Floyd and Von Miller during their stopovers — over the course of his career. As DC Chris Shula takes over, Los Angeles will have a tall order filling its defensive centerpiece’s shoes.

CB Tre’Davious White To Sign With Rams

The Rams continue to build a new look secondary, stacking serious talent at cornerback. After reuniting with Darious Williams two weeks ago, Los Angeles will set him up with an All-Pro on the other side of the field. Former Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White has announced his intentions to sign with the Rams. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, White will join the team on a one-year, $8.5MM deal with a maximum value of $10MM.

White was designated as a post-June 1 release, becoming a cap casualty shortly before the start of free agency. Buffalo will recover $10.2MM of cap space come June 2. Once it’s official, White will become a Ram, playing for a team other than the Bills for the first time in his NFL career.

A 2017 first-round pick out of LSU, White has enjoyed a seven-year career in Buffalo since getting drafted. In his first four years, White was the picture of elite cornerback play. Through four seasons, White tallied 54 passes defensed and 15 interceptions, as well as four forced fumbles and fumble recoveries apiece. For his efforts, White finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, made two Pro Bowls, and was voted to both first- and second-team All-Pro honors.

In 2021, he suffered a torn ACL after 11 games, cutting his season short. A three-sport athlete since middle school, White’s mental health suffered as a result of his forced inactivity during recovery. Slow-playing his recovery meant spending the first seven weeks of 2022 on injured reserve and missing three more games before finally making his return. Things went from bad to worse four games into 2023, when White suffered a torn Achilles tendon, another season-ending ailment.

Before signing, White made the rounds in his first bout with free agency. White spent time visiting the Rams, Raiders, Giants, and Titans. As much as these visits were for White to determine where he wanted to go, they also served as an opportunity for team doctors to feel out how White’s recovery was progressing. A big plus for both White and Los Angeles is that the Rams currently employ Dr. Neal ElAttrache as their team doctor. ElAttrache is the surgeon who repaired White’s Achilles tendon, and he and White have spent time together since with rehab, according to Schefter.

In Los Angeles, White should be allowed to return at his own pace. Derion Kendrick returns after starting 12 games last season, as does Cobie Durant who started nine games while manning the nickelback role in 2023. Although top cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon‘s contract expired, the addition of Williams more than makes up for his absence.

As White works to return to the field with the doctor that fixed his injury, the Rams should be able to field Williams, Kendrick, and Durant in the secondary. The value of White’s new contract, though, seems to imply that Los Angeles doesn’t anticipate being without White for long.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/26/24

Today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Hoecht was a restricted free agent that was tendered by the Rams. He has signed his tender and will return to Los Angeles for the 2024 NFL season.

Rams Planning To Have QB Stetson Bennett At Offseason Workouts

Stetson Bennett disappeared from the Rams’ depth chart in September, going from a player who had a path to becoming Matthew Stafford‘s backup to one out of the mix entirely. Last year’s stay on the Rams’ reserve/NFI list further delayed the NFL career of a player who spent six years in college.

It is not clear what led Bennett off the Rams’ roster in September, but in January, Sean McVay stopped short of guaranteeing the two-time national championship-winning quarterback would be with the team in 2024. GM Les Snead provided an update on Bennett from the league meetings today, indicating (via the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein) the Rams expect the reserve QB to be with them for offseason workouts. Bennett has been preparing for Rams workouts in Dallas.

The Rams targeted Bennett as a potential long-term Stafford backup last year, drafting him in the fifth round. The team had done extensive scouting on a player that, despite his status as a multiyear Georgia starter during the most dominant stretch in that program’s history, was not on early-round draft radars. Bennett, who began his time at Georgia as a walk-on before spending time at a junior college, will also turn 27 later this year. That obviously would put him on track to begin his career later than most QBs in NFL history, but the prospect of Bennett being ready to resume his career is certainly encouraging for the Rams.

A route to Bennett being the Rams’ QB2 does not appear to exist right now. The team gave Jimmy Garoppolo a one-year, $4.5MM deal to replace Carson Wentz as Stafford’s backup. (The team also retained reserve Dresser Winn via a futures contract.) Stafford’s injury history made the acquisition of a veteran backup rather important, and Bennett’s NFI placement last year qualifies him an unreliable option. But the Rams hope to see more of the former SEC standout soon.

Elsewhere on the Rams’ roster, the previously mentioned Ernest Jones extension talks do not appear to have brought progress. Snead said the team is not planning to extend the contract-year linebacker in 2024. “We prioritized spending our resources on additions rather than re-signing from within,” Snead said, via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop.

GM-speak generally preaches the inverse of this strategy, making it interesting Snead would indicate months in advance the Rams were not planning to extend Jones. The former third-round pick has shown improvement, putting together his best season in 2023. But the Rams have a history — during the McVay years, at least — of letting linebackers and safeties fetch their second contracts elsewhere. Among linebackers, Cory Littleton‘s 2020 free agency exit best represents this strategy.

The team’s previous blueprint featured a host of stars coming in, and their contracts made hitting on Day 2 and Day 3 rookies paramount. Jones has become one of those hits, but as of now, he will be looking to audition for other teams — though, the Rams still retain exclusive negotiating rights until March 2025 — rather than being the focus of 2024 extension talks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/24

Today’s minor transactions heading into the weekend:

Baltimore Ravens

Los Angeles Rams

The Ravens don’t lack depth cornerbacks on their roster, so Hollman will be competing throughout the summer with several others for an eventual roster spot.

The Rams bring back Murchison, who started three games for Los Angeles last year as a rotation lineman. Perhaps with Aaron Donald retired, Murchison will be looking to feature more heavily in the rotation.

Free Agency Notes: Giants, Vikings, Jets, Hawks, Huff, Commanders, Ekeler, Raiders, Dolphins, Jacobs, Rams

The Bryce Huff market did not reach the level of Jonathan Greenard‘s, and Danielle Hunter also scored a better guarantee compared to the Jets‘ contract-year breakout pass rusher. But the Eagles needed to give Huff a three-year, $51.1MM deal with $34MM guaranteed. That came about because, per Huff, the Commanders, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings joined the Jets in pursuing him. The Jets had expressed interest in keeping the former UDFA, who led the team in sacks last season, but their 2023 Will McDonald draft choice appeared to point Huff elsewhere.

Minnesota came in early with its Greenard signing (four years, $76MM, $38MM fully guaranteed), while Washington turned to one of Dan Quinn‘s ex-Cowboys charges — Dorance Armstrongsoon after. The Giants made a bigger splash hours later by trading for Brian Burns, in a deal that involved a second-rounder going to the Panthers and fifth-rounders being swapped, while the Seahawks devoted their funding to fortifying their interior D-line (via the Leonard Williams deal). Huff, 26, led the NFL in pressure rate last season but was not used as a full-time D-end. It should be expected the Eagles, who have Haason Reddick in trade rumors, will up Huff’s usage.

Here is the latest free agency fallout:

  • As Lloyd Cushenberry and Andre James scored nice contracts, the center market has not seen Connor Williams come off the board. It should be a while on that front. Rehabbing an ACL tear, Williams is not expected to sign anywhere anytime soon, agent Drew Rosenahus said during a WSVP interview (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). Williams going down in Week 14 certainly has impacted his market. Pro Football Focus graded the two-year Dolphins blocker as a top-five center in each of his two Miami seasons. Ahead of his age-27 season, the ex-Cowboys draftee will probably need to show teams he is healthy or on track to full strength before a deal commences.
  • The Raiders lost their starting running back in free agency, seeing Josh Jacobs join the Packers. Zamir White is tentatively in place as Las Vegas’ starter, but the now-Tom Telesco-run club did show interest in Austin Ekeler, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Telesco was with the Chargers when they signed Ekeler as a UDFA and when they extended him, but the GM did not greenlight a second extension last year. That led to trade rumors and a small incentive package. Ekeler signed a two-year, $8.43MM Commanders deal, indicating (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) the NFC East team showed the most interest. Despite leading the NFL in TDs in 2021 and 2022, Ekeler received only $4.2MM fully guaranteed — ninth among FA backs this year.
  • As for Jacobs, his guarantee fell well short of Saquon Barkley‘s and shy of the Bears’ commitment to D’Andre Swift. The Packers signed Jacobs to a four-year, $48MM deal, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes only the $12.5MM signing bonus is guaranteed (plus a $1.2MM 2024 salary). Beyond 2024, this is a pay-as-you-go deal. Jacobs is due a $5.93MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, creating a pivotal date for Green Bay’s backfield. The Packers are known for shying away from guarantees beyond Year 1, in most instances, but it is interesting to see the gap between guarantees Barkley could secure ($26MM) and Jacobs’ locked-in money.
  • The gap between Xavier McKinney‘s Packers deal and the Ramstwo-year Kamren Curl pact ended up wider than the aforementioned RBs. Curl agreed to a $9MM accord, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala. Curl, 25, has two seasons to show he can command a more lucrative contract. But McKinney (four years, $68MM) showed how valuable an age-25 offseason can be for earning power, making the Curl contract look quite Rams-friendly.
  • Jonnu Smith‘s two-year Dolphins deal came in at $8.4MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Miami will guarantee the former Tennessee, New England and Atlanta tight end $3.96MM. No guarantees are present beyond 2024, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Miami’s three-year Jordyn Brooks accord lands slightly lower than initially reported, with Wilson adding the ex-Seattle linebacker signed for $26.25MM. Brooks’ contract features $16MM guaranteed; just $9.5MM of that sum is guaranteed at signing.

Aaron Donald Addresses Retirement Decision

Aaron Donald brought his Hall of Fame career to an end last week, a decision which came as a surprise to many outside the Rams’ organization but not one to those within it. The franchise icon recently spoke further about his thought process on the matter.

“Ten years, 10 Pro Bowls, eight All-Pros, three Defensive Players of the Year, Rookie of the Year, two NFC Championships, three NFC West championships, went to two Super Bowls, won one, lost one,” Donald said in an interview (Instagram link). “I’m complete. I’m full. I think the passion to play the game is no longer there for me. I will always love football, but to think about going through another camp and another 17 [game] season, I just don’t got the urge to want to push myself to do that no more.

“I’m just, I’m burned out. The best way to say that is I’m full, I’m complete, I’m satisfied with what I was able to do in 10 years, and I think it’s time for me, at 32 years old, to retire from football and jump into the next step of my career and life and it’s time to move on.” 

Indeed, Donald’s career is one of the most decorated amongst NFL players on either side of the ball. Especially having won a Super Bowl in addition to his individual accolades, the Pitt product would not encounter any unmet challenges if he suited up for an 11th campaign in 2024. Due in large part to his massive raise secured in 2022, his financial situation is also far from a concern.

Donald has racked up over $157MM in earnings, a reflection of the Rams’ ongoing commitment to retaining him and his continued elite level of play through the final seasons of his illustrious career. He will no doubt enter the Hall of Fame when first eligible in 2029, by which point further clarity on his post-playing plans will have emerged.

Rams Pursued Andrew Van Ginkel; Ernest Jones On Extension Radar

Aaron Donald‘s retirement creates major questions for a Rams team that has benefited from one of the NFL’s all-time greats for 10 years. Donald boosted the capabilities of other Rams pass rushers, with Kobie Turner and Byron Young the latest beneficiaries.

In addition to its unfillable hole in the Donald spot, the Rams could still use help in the pass-rushing department. The team was in on hybrid performer Andrew Van Ginkel early in free agency, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes, but the ex-Dolphins linebacker signed with the Vikings on a two-year, $20MM deal.

The Rams have not added an edge player in free agency, and they were not believed to be aiming to spend too much to fill the post opposite Young. The team had hoped Van Ginkel’s market would come down a bit, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required), but it did not. Van Ginkel received $10MM guaranteed at signing from the Vikings, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. Another $3MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, giving Minnesota some options with the ex-Miami defender.

Vic Fangio used Van Ginkel in more of a pass-rushing role down the stretch last season, a campaign that featured Jaelan Phillips sustain a torn Achilles during the Dolphins’ Black Friday game. Reuniting with Brian Flores in the Twin Cities, Van Ginkel has shown pass-rushing chops in the past; prior to his six-sack 2023, he accumulated 20 QB hits and nine tackles for loss in Flores’ 2021 Miami finale.

It is difficult to know what to expect from the Rams’ pass rush. Donald raised this operation’s floor to a degree it landed the likes of Leonard Floyd, Von Miller and Dante Fowler big paydays. Over the past two years, the team invested little — beyond the third-round Young pick — on the edge; the team did attempt to keep Miller and then saw Carolina turn down a two-first-rounder offer (17 months before taking a second and a fifth from the Giants) for Brian Burns. But the Rams, who spent to address guard last week, have work to do here moving forward.

Elsewhere on defense, the Rams have begun extension talks with linebacker Ernest Jones, per Rodrigue, who classifies these talks as preliminary. A two-year starter, Jones has become one of the Rams’ top defenders. Coming off a 145-tackle, 4.5-sack season, the former third-round pick is going into a contract year.

Los Angeles released Bobby Wagner last year and previously let standout Cory Littleton collect his second contract elsewhere. Pro Football Focus ranked Jones 13th among linebackers last season, when the South Carolina alum broke through with 14 tackles for loss. With Donald retiring, Matthew Stafford going into his age-36 season and Cooper Kupp turning 31 this year, the Rams may be more open to extensions with players at lower-priority positions. They have some time to hammer out a Jones deal, as Rodrigue adds the sides are not in a rush.

Based on how the Rams spent their money last week, a Steve Avila-to-center plan appeared in place. Indeed, Rodrigue confirms the 2023 second-round pick is slated to slide to center. The Rams re-signed Kevin Dotson on a $16MM-per-year deal and gave Jonah Jackson a $17MM-AAV pact. Considering Avila was the team’s highest draft choice since Jared Goff, it seemed highly unlikely L.A. would demote him ahead of his second season.

TCU deployed Avila at center during his 2021 junior season; he also saw time there as a sophomore. After going into recent training camps with position battles up front, the Rams appear to have their starting five — Alaric Jackson, Jonah Jackson, Avila, Dotson, Rob Havenstein — up front. Attached to a recently reworked deal, Joe Noteboom is set to provide swing depth.

Contract Details: Young, Awuzie, Taylor, Rams, Cards, Chargers, 49ers, Lions, Texans

With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:

  • Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Titans). Three years, $36MM. Contract includes $22.98MM guaranteed. Awuzie’s 2025 base salary ($11.49MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, with $7.51MM of that total fully guaranteed. Awuzie being on Tennessee’s roster on April 1 of next year locks in the other $3.98MM. The veteran cornerback is a due a $1MM bonus on April 1, 2026, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Commanding a market, the recent Jaguars cap casualty’s second Rams contract can be worth up to $30MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
  • Chase Young, DE (Saints). One year, $13MM. The deal includes $7.99MM in per-game roster bonuses, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. Including a $2.7MM base salary and a $1.86MM signing bonus, Young’s New Orleans pact is still heavily tilted toward games active. That will make the defensive end’s recovery from neck surgery worth monitoring more closely.
  • Tyrod Taylor, QB (Jets): Two years, $12MM. Taylor will see $8.5MM fully guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. An additional $6MM in incentives are present in the veteran QB’s deal. Three void years are included here, dropping Taylor’s 2024 cap hit to $2.8MM.
  • DeeJay Dallas, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $8.25MM. Dallas will see $2.4MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The final two base salaries on this contract — both worth $2.4MM — are nonguaranteed. Rushing yards-based incentives run up to $750K per year in this deal.
  • Javon Kinlaw, DT (Jets): One year, $7.25MM. The ex-49ers first-rounder will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the deal also includes $1.75MM in incentives.
  • Gus Edwards, RB (Chargers). Two years, $6.5MM. The ex-Ravens back will see $3.38MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $3MM 2025 base salary is nonguaranteed, with Wilson adding he is due a $125K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
  • Noah Brown, WR (Texans): One year, $4MM. Brown re-signed with the Texans for $3MM guaranteed, per Wilson. The wideout’s second Houston contract can max out at $5MM.
  • Jon Feliciano, G (49ers). One year, $2.75MM. Feliciano will receive a $925K signing bonus, and Wilson adds $1.25MM in incentives are present in this accord.
  • Emmanuel Moseley, CB (Lions). One year, $1.13MM. Moseley will stay in Detroit for the veteran minimum, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. Coming off a second ACL tear in two years, Moseley will receive a $1MM signing bonus. He received $6MM in 2023.

Rams Sign QB Jimmy Garoppolo

MARCH 20: The Rams are giving Garoppolo a one-year deal that includes a $4.5MM base value, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Incentives can move the value of this contract to $12MM, but that will likely depend on whether a Stafford injury gives Garoppolo an opportunity to make starts.

MARCH 15: Jimmy Garoppolo‘s free agency will not last long. Despite receiving a two-game PED suspension, the former 49ers and Raiders starter will land in a popular spot.

The Rams are signing the veteran to back up Matthew Stafford, per the NFL Network’s Peter Schrager and Mike Garafolo. Garoppolo closed last season as a backup but has extensive experience as a starter. Coming from the Kyle Shanahan offense will certainly help Garoppolo here as well. The 32-year-old passer agreed to a one-year deal.

By mid-September of the past six seasons, Garoppolo has been viewed as a starter. He signed a three-year, $72.75MM deal to rejoin Josh McDaniels, but the 10-year QB’s stock has nosedived since. Missing two games due to injury early in the season, Garoppolo wound up on the bench once the Raiders fired McDaniels. He served as Aidan O’Connell‘s backup during the season’s second half but incurred the PED ban early this offseason, giving the Raiders a way to avoid paying out the QB’s 2024 guarantees. Garoppolo became a post-June 1 cut earlier this week.

Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay use schemes derived from the Mike Shanahan-Gary Kubiak system, as both were on Mike Shanahan’s Washington staff in the 2010s. Tweaks have naturally occurred, but this stands to be an easier transition compared to Garoppolo landing in an entirely new offense. He appears all set to replace Carson Wentz as Stafford’s caddy.

The Rams turned to Wentz after a rough Brett Rypien start in Green Bay. Stafford missed much of the 2022 season due to injury but was only down for one game last year — a bounce-back slate for the cannon-armed starter. Wentz, who remained in free agency until November last year, is back on the market.

Garoppolo’s return to McDaniels’ system did not go well; he managed nine interceptions in six starts as Davante Adams fumed. Garoppolo was certainly much better under Shanahan, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt and guiding the team to two NFC championship games and Super Bowl LIV. QBR placed Garoppolo 16th in 2022 — prior to his broken foot introducing the NFL to Brock Purdy — and slotted him in 13th and 12th, respectively, in 2021 and 2019.

This will still be an interesting switch for Garoppolo, who faced the Rams many times as the 49ers’ starter. Garoppolo went 8-0 against Los Angeles in the regular season, but McVay’s team reversed the trend in the ’21 NFC decider.

After using John Wolford as his primary backup for four years, McVay provided an interesting chapter in Baker Mayfield‘s career. The five-game Rams cameo helped the former No. 1 pick finish the 2022 season on a better note, and McVay also went the veteran route with Wentz. This pattern will continue with Garoppolo, who played effectively when Trey Lance went down early in the ’22 season. Given Stafford’s run of injuries — maladies he has largely played through — Garoppolo will play an important role in L.A.