Perfect Matthew Stafford successor might have fallen right into Rams' lap

It feels like people have been jumping to crown Matthew Stafford's successor for the Los Angeles Rams since he was traded to the organization in 2021. Well, sorry to tell you that this will be yet another one of those pieces.

Rather than drafting Stafford's successor following the 2024 season, why not pursue another former number-one overall pick looking to switch teams? I'm talking, of course, about Bryce Young, who was selected number one overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and has already been benched by the Carolina Panthers.

More Rams news

Sam Monson of The 33rd Team listed the Rams as the second-best landing spot for Young, who might already be done in Carolina. Monson said the Dolphins were the best spot for Young, then the Rams, and then the Raiders.

It's not a crazy theory honestly. The Rams do need to find their next starting quarterback after Stafford and Sean McVay could be the right coach to fix the former Alabama star. The Panthers entire organization is a mess from their owner to the slew of coaches Young has had in a short amount of time. It's not wild to think that McVay could turn Young into a good quarterback.

The problem right now would be that the Rams don't have a good enough offensive line and that's the same issue Young faced in Carolina his rookie year. The Rams' key weapons are often pretty banged up right now so if the team traded for him and Stafford then went down, that probably wouldn't set him up for success right away.

Would Bryce Young make sense with the Rams?

Stafford is his age-36 season and with the struggling offensive line and his recent injury history, we're certainly closer to the end of his career than the beginning of it. Stafford joined the Rams in 2021 and immediately helped lead the team to a Super Bowl victory.

Unfortunately, it's been mostly downhill since then. Stafford was banged up in 2022 and while the team was better in 2023, they were one-and-done in the postseason with Stafford losing to his old team in the Wild Card round. Trading for Young could be a risky move but if McVay saw something he liked in the former first overall pick then it could make sense to bring him in.

I would guess that if the Rams finish the season with a high draft pick, they'll turn to the draft to find their next signal-caller for when Stafford is either traded or finishes his career. That'd be cheaper than sending picks to Carolina for Young. If McVay thinks Young could rebound in Los Angeles though, why not take a shot and bring him to a franchise that has had success in recent years?

Crazier things have happened.