Best backup QB options for Rams after Carson Wentz signs with Chiefs

There won't be another season with Carson Wentz in a Los Angeles Rams uniform, as the Rams backup quarterback from last year signed a one-year deal with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Wentz spent the majority of the 2023 season out of football until the Rams signed him in November. He went on to play in two games for LA and started one.

Now that Wentz is off to Kansas City, who will backup Matthew Stafford? Let's take a look at some potential backup quarterback options for the Rams.

Ryan Tannehill

The biggest quarterback name still available in free agency is Ryan Tannehill, who spent the first six years of his career with the Dolphins and then the past five years with the Titans. Tannehill had success in Tennessee, especially from 2019 to 2021 where he helped lead the Titans to the playoffs and in 2019, they made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

Tannehill has battled injuries over the past few years, however, and doesn't appear to be viewed as a starting quarterback as of this writing. That being said, if the Rams brought him in to back up Stafford, they'd have an experienced vet stepping onto the field and it'd only be a minor step off from what Stafford can provide.

Stafford and Tannehill aren't running quarterbacks either so the style of offense wouldn't change too much if Tannehill did have to step in and take some snaps.

Blaine Gabbert

The Chiefs opted not to re-sign Blaine Gabbert, their backup quarterback for the 2023 season, bringing Wentz in instead. Could the Rams and Chiefs end up simply swapping backup signal-callers?

Gabbert has been in the league since he went in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and he was only a starter for three years before that ship sailed for the former Mizzou quarterback. While he's had to start some games over the past few years due to injuries to the starter (or in the Chiefs' case last year, resting starters ahead of the playoffs), Gabbert has largely been viewed as a backup.

The drop-off from Stafford to Gabbert would be a lot bigger than it would between Stafford and Tannehill but Gabbert has no problem strolling the sidelines and holding a Microsoft tablet. He's got the backup role locked down.

Trevor Siemian

One of the more well-known backups in the NFL is Trevor Siemian, who entered the league in 2015 as a seventh-round pick by the Broncos. Siemian started 24 games for the Broncos in 2016 and 2017 but has mostly been viewed as a backup since the 2018 season. He has plenty of starting experience if called upon, having started eight games over the past three seasons.

Siemian is probably a better backup than Gabbert but the dropoff between him and Stafford is still quite large. Then again, most NFL teams are in a major bind if their starting signal-caller goes down and the Rams are no different.

Out of this bunch, however, Ryan Tannehill would be the best option for Los Angeles to sign as a backup to Matthew Stafford.