5 players who the Rams must re-sign after 2023

A veteran presence is vital for 2024 at this position

Sometimes, the opportunities in the NFL have to be seized when they appear. Right now, the LA Rams have to view an extension of veteran quarterback Carson Wentz as a very high priority in the offseason. Even if Wentz does nothing more than learn the LA Rams offense and run the scouting team in weekly practices for the rest of this season, the Rams need to extend him.

Now, here's why:

The rash of injuries to starting quarterbacks throughout the 2023 NFL season has been headlining the sports news since the season began. With the season-ending injury to New York Jets starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the NFL has watch in horror as starting quarterbacks across the NFL landscape have fallen to injuries.

Rams need a trustworthy backup

The LA Rams have not been immune to the plague of injuries with quarterbacks. Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford was injured in Week 9, and was unable to play in the loss to the Green Bay Packers by a score of 20-3. Even rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett has been affected, suffering a shoulder injury that made him inactive for Week 1, followed by being placed on the LA Rams IR/NI list for the duration of the 2023 NFL season.

Right now, the LA Rams (4-6) are unlikely to be drafting one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even if the Rams draft a rookie quarterback in 2024, fans should not expect that player to arrive in the NFL with precision strong-armed passing. In all honesty, even the top-ranked quarterbacks need time to adjust to the NFL after college.

Carson Wentz, as flawed as his NFL career has been, is the natural and logical successor to Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. He is six years the junior to Stafford, was drafted in the same year as former Rams quarterback Jared Goff, and has an overwhelming amount of NFL experience.

The Rams did not need to invest much into the backup quarterback position as long as the team had the durable Goff under center. Even Matthew Stafford took a licking and kept on ticking in 2021. But Stafford is getting older, and the wear and tear on his body is taking a toll on him. By any stretch of the imagination, the Rams need a quarterback who can be handed the ball in 2024 with a reasonable expectation of success.

Whether or not the LA Rams draft a quarterback in 2024, this team needs to retain Carson Wentz, if only to bridge the gap of time between now and the Rams' next franchise quarterback era.