LA Rams rumored to have placed claim for QB Baker Mayfield

Rams HC Sean McVay has a history with Baker Mayfield

It may be worth noting that the LA Rams head coach Sean McVay was once seated next to quarterback Baker Mayfield on a Southwest Air flight, a fact that was reported by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport in February 2018. At the time, Baker Mayfield was heading to the 2018 NFL Draft, a draft in which he would hear his name called as the first overall selection in that draft.

But it was a good time for LA Rams head coach Sean McVay too. He was leading the LA Rams offense to another scoring fest against helpless NFL defenses and would compete in Super Bowl LIII at the end of that season. Of course, the New England Patriots took ample notes about how the Rams’ offense worked and exploited pre-snap reads to shut down the Rams’ offense in that game by a score of 13-3.

Does either McVay or Mayfield recall that flight or their in-flight conversation? Who’s to say? But an NFL veteran quarterback who now needs a team and an NFL head coach who now needs to jumpstart a deeply disappointing offense have plenty of reasons to team up and try to salvage their reputations with what remains of the 2022 NFL season.  But is Baker Mayfield too far gone? Has he tumbled too far in his ability to lead an offense to a point where he is not worth even a modest investment to finish out the 2022 season?

With a tumbling reputation, why should the Rams have any interest in claiming him?