LA Rams painted themselves into a corner after Kirk Cousins dumps them for Raiders

The Los Angeles Rams are savvy enough to understand that the offseason provides opportunities to upgrade the roster virtually everywhere. The problems with that effort to upgrade the roster happen when the plans stumble, and the team is forced to concoct a Plan B.

The team made a push to add veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to the roster, but the effort fell short of the mark. The challenge is how willing the team was to promote its fervent interest in the veteran quarterback. and where it finds itself now:

Head coach Sean McVay was more than happy to share his interest in reuniting with Cousins. And general manager Les Snead was happy to support McVay in that pursuit. But Kirk Cousins opted for a big bag and a chance to start with the Las Vegas. Now, LA must hope that former backup Jimmy Garoppolo does not feel like a consolation prize and returns to LA.

Jimmy Garoppolo may not want to bail out LA Rams now

No, the LA Rams are not satisfied with backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They have demonstrated that with one-year bridge contracts and an active pursuit of Cousins. Now, the team may need to make amends to lure Garoppolo back to the roster by sweetening their offer for his return.

But the damage may already be done.

The quarterback situation in LA has changed dramatically. One year ago, Jimmy G was the team's Plan B to start. Now? An MVP season from Matthew Stafford gives the future a much more obscure feel. And Garoppolo himself is advancing into an age when he must contemplate his own NFL future.

It's now or never to find a starting role.

Teams are not impressed with the rookie quarterback crop in the 2026 NFL Draft. Garoppolo can leverage that disinterest into starting for a quarterback-needy team this season. And Los Angeles simply cannot compete with that.

As of right now, backup quarterback Stetson Bennett is the lone option to rally the offense if Matthew Stafford falls to injury. Unfortunately, his contract expires at the end of this season. The team invested in a coaching staff to optimize Bennett's NFL potential. Right now, until the situation changes, Bennett is the heir apparent to the starting quarterback role.

And that is not something anyone could have predicted just one year ago. As always, thanks for reading.