Sitting at 0-2, the Los Angeles Rams could have a long, exhausting season ahead. Considering they’ve been bitten by the everlasting injury bug, there’s no telling when or if Sean McVay gets this season turned around.
No matter what, a winless start to the season heading into Week 3 wasn’t what anyone expected after a 10-7 finish in 2023. Sure, Aaron Donald’s absence has been felt, but that’s just another excuse, albeit a fairly legitimate one. Yet, for players with an uncertain future like the 36-year-old Matthew Stafford, it’s now or never in their NFL careers.
While Stafford has two more seasons left on his contract, the harsh reality is when you’re one of the NFL’s oldest players, you only want to play for contending teams. If the Rams don’t put up a strong enough fight to show they’re ready to bounce back in 2025, Stafford just might opt for retirement or even demand a trade to another contender. If so, which quarterback could the Rams turn to next?
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Could former USC Trojans QB Sam Darnold join the Los Angeles Rams in 2025?
If for whatever reason, the Los Angeles Rams part ways with Matthew Stafford during the 2024 offseason, there’s one obvious choice who could make his return to Southern California — Sam Darnold.
While he’s working off a small sample size, the former USC Trojans quarterback is off to a very strong start with the Minnesota Vikings, helping them get out to a 2-0 start. Having Justin Jefferson and former USC star Jordan Addison helps, but the former No. 3 overall pick is showing a new level of maturity, decision-making, and accuracy that he hasn’t shown consistently in any of his previous NFL stops.
Entering Week 3, Darnold is the fourth-highest-graded quarterback at Pro Football Focus. He’s also climbing several versions of various NFL QB rankings. While the Vikings will gladly take Darnold’s standout play for now, he’s only on a one-year contract, and he’s also not the franchise QB of the future in Minnesota, with J.J. McCarthy set to claim the throne in 2025.
With Darnold set for free agency after the season ends and Stafford’s future in Los Angeles up in the air, why shouldn’t the Rams check in on Kevin O’Connell’s latest protege? Even a local Minnesota sports reporter, Darren Wolfson, suggested Darnold could be headed back to The Golden State in 2025.
“To me, No. 1 on that list, the Los Angeles Rams. Thinking that Matthew Stafford retires. “
SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson on Sam Darnold (13:35 mark)
Depending on how the season goes, Stafford could very well hang up his cleats at the end of the season. If so, signing Darnold, who will turn 28 next offseason, could give the Rams a long-term solution without costing them any draft picks in the process.
Darnold’s price could be driven up if his strong performance continues, but Les Snead can get creative with the contract structure. The Rams could easily backload the contract and pay the bulk of Darnold’s wages once Stafford’s $53.6 million cap hit comes off the books.
For Darnold, the chance to hop into a system that’s similar to the one he’s already succeeding in while returning to his home state of California may be a situation that’s too good to pass up on. Not to mention, he’d also get to throw to a pair of Pro Bowl targets in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Ultimately, the Rams may be one of, if not the best, landing spots for Darnold this offseason.
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