Carson Wentz to Rams: Smart Move or Bad News For Matthew Stafford's Injury?

Carson Wentz finally has a new home.

The journeyman quarterback is signing with the Los Angeles Rams, pending a physical, according to multiple reports. Wentz, a former Pro Bowler and MVP candidate with the Philadelphia Eagles, most recently played for the Washington Commanders last year but remained a free agent for the first half of the 2023 season.

Wentz's signing comes as starting quarterback Matthew Stafford recovers from a UCL sprain in his right thumb. Stafford suffered the injury in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys and did not play last week against the Green Bay Packers.

The Rams adding to their QB room heading into their bye week could either act as some insurance for Stafford or be an indication that the starting QB could be out longer than expected.

McVay Was Optimistic About Stafford Injury

The Rams turned to backup QB Brett Rypien to lead their offense in Stafford's absence against the Green Bay Packers. The 27-year-old completed less than half of his passes and finished with only 130 yards through the air and an interception. The Rams collectively gained 187 yards and set a season-low in points in their 20-3 loss.

"I'm not really sure, like, what to think right now," Rypien said after the game. "All I know is that was not really not good enough."

Coach Sean McVay said Monday that he is optimistic Stafford will be back under center on November 19 after the team's Week 10 bye. When asked if the Rams would stick with Rypien if Stafford could not play, the Super Bowl-winning coach avoided going into hypotheticals.

"Feel really good about Matthew and how much he's attacked doing everything in his power to be back and to lead the way for this team," McVay told reporters during a video conference on Monday. "And so we're gonna look at a lot of different things over this break, but I'm optimistic that I don't even think that's something that we have to worry about."

If Stafford does start against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11, as McVay is confident will happen, then Wentz could serve as a more experienced backup than Rypien, who the Rams released on Tuesday. But bringing in a new QB ahead of the bye, perhaps to provide ample time to learn the playbook, could be a sign that the Rams want to be prepared for bad news on the injury front.

Either way, the true significance of this signing may not be clear until the Rams-Seahawks matchup.

Should Stafford's thumb take a turn for the worse, Wentz could be in line to start for his fourth NFL team. Since the Eagles selected the QB out of North Dakota State with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft, Wentz has started 92 games and thrown for 151 touchdowns and 66 interceptions. The 30-year-old spent the last three seasons with three different franchises—the Eagles, Colts, and Commanders.

Last season, Wentz completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,755 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine picks in eight games with Washington.

The Rams drafted quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in 2016 right before the Eagles took Wentz. Goff was then traded to the Detroit Lions in a deal that involved Stafford, and now Wentz could get an opportunity to play for a team falling out of the playoff race. Los Angeles enters its bye week at 3-6, having lost three games in a row, and is in third place in the NFC West.