What will Carson Wentz show LA Rams fans in Week 18?

From the moment that the LA Rams were rumored to be signing veteran quarterback Carson Wentz to be their backup quarterback for the second half of the 2023 NFL season, many Rams fans offered up a warm welcome to the move. After years of staffing the backup quarterback role with less know candidates, the Rams embraced the need for a quality veteran backup to be the necessary insurance policy for the LA Rams and their trek into the NFL Playoffs.

But there was one problem with any scenario that meant that Carson Wentz would see action at running the LA Rams offense. Wentz seeing any offensive snaps in 2023 would necessitate starting quarterback Carson Wentz sittin on the LA Rams bench. Unless an injury occured to Stafford, that was an unlikely event.

The Rams did have one occasion to put Carson Wentz into a game. In Week 12, the Rams sent Wentz into the game to kneel for the final few snaps, and ensure that the Rams would emerge the victor over the Arizona Cardinals. Three offensive snaps, three kneels. Not exactly the type of work in a game that affords objective analysis.

Of course, there was one more scenario that seemed quite remote when the Rams signed Wentz. After the team had a chance to work with veteran QB Baker Mayfield in 2022, the Rams coaching staff was both impressed and enlightened by just how quickly Mayfield was able to absorb the Rams playbook and convert what he learned onto the football field as productive control of the Rams offense. If the Rams were able to clinch a playoff berth this year, the Rams hoped that Carson Wentz could be a suitable stand-in for Stafford, and allow the Rams to save their starting QB from unnecessary wear and tear.

This is more than putting in a backup to avoid injury to the starting quarterback. Here's why: