5 backup QB options that the Rams may add before the 2025 NFL Draft

Lyrics to past pop hits may not be the first thing you think of when you consider the whirlwind of NFL rumors the LA Rams face. But if you think about it, the lyrics to the smashing pop hit by the Beatles entitled Let It Be fit the bill. Written by Paul McCartney and released in early 1970, it is the musical version of the serenity prayer, opening with the following lines

"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, Let it be.

And in my hour of darkness, She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, Let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, Let it be."
By Paul McCartney

Times of trouble certainly sound like the reality facing fans right now with an imminent trade of veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp hanging in the balance. And the knowledge that the team may had to come to grips with a future without veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford now or later certainly checks all of the boxes to an hour of darkness. Still, it's not what you face that defines your character, but rather how you deal with it.

Every NFL team faces some level of change during the offseason, and some level of adversity during the season. In the offseason, it's about expiring contracts, retirements, and trades. During the season, it's injuries, competition, and missed opportunities. So the LA Rams nor Rams fans should expect to be immune to the same challenges that face all 31 other NFL teams.

It comes down to how do teams address those challenges? For the San Francisco 49ers after starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo, they hit the jackpot by finding an NFL starting quarterback in Round 7 of the 2022 NFL Draft. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they signed former Rams backup quarterback Baker Mayfield after Tom Brady retired. For the LA Rams, that next chapter is yet to be written.

But that next chapter, whether in 2025, 2026, or 2027, needn't be viewed as Armageddon.

When the Rams All-Pro DT Aaron Donald retired after the 2023 NFL season, the team rebounded rather quickly. Rams GM Les Snead accomplished that by now waiting around for Donald to be gone. The team used two Round 3 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft to add Tennessee OLB Byron Young and Wake Forest DT Kobie Turner.

Of course, many fans quickly wax incensed at the discussions over how the Rams' future may, and may not, take shape right now. But the discussion should not be an impediment. It's what the team decides to do that is truly the trigger of negative emotions. Think of a trade or retirement of Stafford as falling off a cliff. Then any discussion about how the team might prepare for the inevitable outcome is simply a donkey trail down the side of the mountain.

(5) - QB Zach Wilson

The name of Zach Wilson has come up before. But at the time, he was under contract with the New York Jets, and former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was fired, in part, because he was unable to unlock Zach Wilson's NFL potential. But what a difference a year makes, right?

Wilson was traded by the Jets to the Denver Broncos, who promptly sat him on the bench in favor of rookie QB Bo Nix. Now, one year later and on an expired contract, Wilson is at the cusp of entering the 2025 NFL Free Agency market. With a weak quarterback class expected from this year's class, Wilson may be in line to compete for a starting job. The thing is, should he?

While it's every quarterback's goal to start in the NFL, Zach Wilson has not thrown a pass since 2023. Even then, he struggled mightily for the New York Jets, and his reputation has been severely tarnished. In many way, he is an ideal candidate to have his NFL reputation restored by spending a year (or two) as a backup quarterback for the LA Rams. While he may not have done much for Mike LaFleur's career in New York, coaching him up with the Rams will fall to other coaches.

It could make some sense, but is not necessarily going to happen.