The 10 best quarterbacks in the history of the Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have typically been a team that relies on strong offenses to get the job done, which has produced some of the greatest quarterbacks in league history. In both Los Angeles and St. Louis, the Rams have been willing to let it fly.

One of the few teams in the league with three Hall of Fame quarterbacks in their franchise history, the Rams have been the stage for some legendary performances and historic careers that can define eras.

These 10 quarterbacks stand tall above the rest, becoming the best players in franchise history under center the fact many of them have stayed on more than a half-century after they last hung it up shows just how elite they were during their respective times.

Criteria for selection

These quarterbacks were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 10 quarterbacks in the history of the Los Angeles Rams

10. Vince Ferragamo

While James "Shack" Harris did go 21-6 as the starter, and Pat Haden did make a Pro Bowl, Ferragamo took the Rams to a Super Bowl. His hot finish to 1979 was followed up by a splendid 1980 season in which he threw 30 touchdowns. Why isn't he higher on this list? Canada is to blame.

At the time, CFL teams would compete for top NFL names with lucrative contracts. Ferragamo signed with the Montreal Alouettes, struggled, and returned to the Rams in 1982. Ferragamo would throw 32 interceptions in his next 23 games, and he was relegated to backup work for the rest of his career. Still, he will always have 1979 to look back on.

9. Billy Wade

Wade may be best remembered for his time with the Chicago Bears, as he was the trigger man for teams that leaned on Gale Sayers and Mike Ditka. Before Chicago, Wade was a backup to Norm Van Brocklin in Los Angeles who eventually succeeded him as the starter when the Hall of Famer made the move to Philadelphia.

Wade was a Pro Bowler who led the league in passing yards in 1958, showing that he could be a competent replacement for Van Brocklin. While his move to the Bears was ultimately the best choice for him personally, his departure forced the Rams to take a swing on Roman Gabriel in the draft.

8. Marc Bulger

Bulger's career with the Rams is very much in the eye of the beholder. On one hand, he is one of the best sixth-round quarterbacks in NFL history someone who kept the Rams competitive when Kurt Warner was dealing with injuries. On the other, his decline in play helped kick-start an era where St. Louis was unwatchable, league-worst dreck for a half-decade.

Bulger was a two-time Pro Bowler with 22,000 passing yards and 122 touchdowns to his name in St. Louis. Bulger was good enough to replace Kurt Warner, earn two big-money contracts to be the starting quarterback, and lead the Rams to a 36-24 record between 2002 and 2006.

Bulger's struggles at the end, however, must be taken into account. Between 2007 and 2009, he went 5-30 as a starter and threw more picks than touchdowns. Ultimately, his peak got him this high.

7. Jared Goff

Much like Bulger, Goff's career can be viewed in many different lights. He did get the Rams to a Super Bowl and put up gaudy numbers in one of the best offenses in the league, but it's also fair to say the former No. 1 overall pick left some meat on the bone by not doing more with the tools at his disposal.

Goff does have two straight seasons with 4,600 passing yards, 82 touchdowns in a three-season span, and a deep postseason run to his name. He also struggled mightily in his final season with the Rams, and his old running mates won a championship immediately after he left.

As has since been proven in Detroit, Goff is a solid quarterback who can win some big names. His Rams tenure needed to come to an end for all involved parties, and they did a good job getting a ton for him.

6. Jim Everett

Despite all the great quarterbacks in Rams history, it's actually Everett who leads the franchise in passing yards. Everett's Rams may have never been the most successful in the standings, but the numbers he was putting up for a team that was left decimated by the Eric Dickerson trade deserve a good deal of adulation.

Everett led the NFL in touchdown passes in consecutive seasons during the 1989 and 1990 campaigns with a combined 60 scores. The former No. 3 pick's inability to build a winner in LA can be due to the team cutting corners financially. When he had support, Everett made the playoffs often in the late 1980s.

5. Bob Waterfield

Waterfield was batting 1.000 in life during the prime of his career. He was named MVP of the league as a rookie in 1945, led his team to championships in 1945 and 1951, and was married to one of the biggest stars in Hollywood in Jane Russell. Travis Kelce before his time, Waterfield was an iconic player in the post-war NFL.

Waterfield's numbers (11,800 passing yards, 97 touchdowns) look ordinary, but he did lead the league in touchdown passes twice while being named an All-Pro five times. The Rams never had a losing season when Waterfield was the quarterback, cementing his status as one of the best of his era.

4. Matthew Stafford

Stafford's 2021 run to the Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams validated what Detroit Lions fans and NFL tape grinders were saying about the immensely talented passer for his first 12 years in the league. He wasn't the problem in Detroit, and a Sean McVay offense was everything he needed to show he could put up gaudy numbers in the playoffs.

Stafford's debut season with the Rams could not have gone better. Between the 41 touchdown passes and Super Bowl ring, Stafford appeared to be the ideal McVay quarterback. After a down year in 2022, Stafford led a Rams team few expected to be good to a postseason spot while he himself made it to the Pro Bowl.

Stafford has a ton of gas left in the tank, and his big arm should help him continue to climb up the franchise's all-time passing leaderboards.

3. Roman Gabriel

Gabriel recently passed away at 84 years old, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most underrated players in NFL history. It is by no means hyperbolic or out of line to suggest that Gabriel is the best eligible player in NFL history who is not in the Hall of Fame.

Gabriel was a four-time Pro Bowler, led the league in passing touchdowns twice, and was named the league's MVP in 1969. Third among NFL quarterbacks in passing touchdowns between 1966 and 1969, Gabriel's numbers in that era are equaled by a select few. It's time to honor his memory and get him to Canton.

2. Norm Van Brocklin

There's a good argument to be made that Van Brocklin was perhaps the best quarterback in the league in the 1950s. While a good chunk of his accolades in his career came after leaving LA and joining Philadelphia, Van Brocklin's Rams tenure made them one of the most feared teams in league history.

Six of Van Brocklin's nine Pro Bowl nominations came with the Rams, all while leading teh league in yards per attempt four times in five years due to his rocket arm and one of the best receiving corps in NFL history. Van Brocklin alternated playing time with Waterfield in the 1951 championship season, and he became a gold jacket player when given the chance.

1. Kurt Warner

Warner was not a Ram for very long, and his seasons outside of 1999 and 2001 were often marred by inconsistency and injury. Why is he at the top of this list? Warner won a Super Bowl in 1999 and came damn close to going it again in 2001, all while setting more than his fair share of statistical records.

Warner was at the center of the "Greatest Show on Turf." Leading the league in completion percentage three years in a row, Warner twice led the league in touchdown passes and twice won MVP. Not bad for a guy who was stocking grocery shelves a few years beforehand.

Warner's accomplishments should be highlighted by what he did in the postseason, as he won it all in 1999 and narrowly missed out on a second ring in 2001. Injuries and poor play cut his Rams career short, but Warner's Hall of Fame legacy came almost entirely on the back of his Rams career.