LA Rams: Matthew Stafford, zip, injuries, birds and QBees

Benign backup Bortles

If you are not warming up to anyone on this backup quarterback list, then why not bring back the benign backup Blake Bortles? Much like Nick Foles, Bortles is a towering 6-foot-5 236-pound tank of a quarterback who gives both the familiarity with the LA Rams offense as well as solid durability.

Bortles was the primary backup quarterback for the LA Rams in 2019. But a solid training camp by teammate John Wolford in that year afforded the Rams to pass on re-signing Bortles after his one-year contract expired the following season, and the Rams went with Wolford as the backup quarterback and Bryce Perkins as the emergency backup on the practice squad. But as soon as Jared Goff fell to injury late in 2020, the Rams immediately re-signed Bortles to the active roster.

Right now, that same scenario is playing out once more. The only difference is that the Rams have added a camp arm in former Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Devlin Hodges. Still, why kid ourselves?  If push comes to shove, the LA Rams will redial Blake Bortles and book him on the next flight to Los Angeles to re-sign him to be a backup quarterback once more. Oh, and he was recently cut by the Green Bay Packers, so now is as good of a time as any to sign him up.

Bortles was a starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars before coming to the LA Rams. What he has not shown in terms of recent NFL offensive snaps, he more than makes up for with his intimate knowledge of the LA Rams players, offense, and coaching staff. I for one would prefer to have him now and not need him, than not have him down the road and need him.