Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher Smart For Resting QB Jared Goff in Second Half

Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher decided to rest quarterback Jared Goff in the second half in the preseason opener after dealing with soreness in his non-throwing shoulder.

In the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams fans were excited to see what rookie Jared Goff would bring to the table during his first NFL game. While there was plenty of highs and lows in the rookie’s debut, fans were surprised to see Goff on the sidelines when the second half got underway against the Cowboys since he only played part of the second quarter.

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Turns out, there was a good reason why Jeff Fisher went with Sean Mannion over Goff in the second half against Dallas.

Fisher made the decision to rest Goff after the quarterback was dealing with soreness in his non-throwing shoulder–which was a smart move by the head coach. With talks increasing over a possible extension before the start of the regular season, the last thing Fisher wants to do is put the team’s future star quarterback at risk in a meaningless preseason game.

Plus, Goff will have plenty of other opportunities over the next three preseason games to gain experience–so resting a few extra series isn’t going to hurt.

Unfortunately, Goff’s first outing with Los Angeles was one to forget after the rookie struggled most of the time he was on the field after completing just 4 of 9 passes for 38 yards and an interception on his second passing attempt. Not to mention Goff didn’t receive the best support in the world as the offensive line provided him with poor protection while numerous wideouts dropped key passes.

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Of course, this is only one preseason game and there’s no reason for the Rams to hit the panic button yet in regards to Goff. If anything, the team should just be glad the shoulder injury is minor and Fisher was smart enough to just have the No. 1 pick rest instead of putting him at risk.