Los Angeles Rams: 15 greatest quarterbacks in franchise history

Pat Haden certainly had a long way to go when he first joined the Rams back in 1976. The team decided to use a seventh-round pick on the former USC quarterback and he was facing competition from both James Harris and Ron Jaworski.

But just like plenty of other rookie quarterbacks from over the years, Haden would end up seeing some surprising action during his first NFL season in 1976 as a result of his teammates dealing with injuries.

For the most part, the Rams couldn’t have asked for more from Haden when considering his rookie campaign resulted in an impressive 5-1-1 finish.

While the eight touchdown passes could have been better, keep in mind that Haden was arguably easing his way into playing in the NFL, meaning the Rams were never too concerned about him being a game manager that early in his career.

Haden took a major leap over the next two seasons when he finished with a combined 20-6 record as the Rams starting quarterback. That being said, it would have been great to see him finish with more touchdown passes (24) than interceptions (25). But only being one pick in the red isn’t too bad, considering the era Haden played in.

Looking at the career numbers for Haden with the Rams, it’s tough to ignore that he only tossed 52 touchdown passes compared to just 60 interceptions.

But at least with a career record of 35-19-1 with the Rams, this is what will always stand out the most when it comes to Haden’s time leading the team in the late 1970s.