The Rams have reached the point where giving Matthew Stafford a break starts to sound less like a radical idea and more like common sense.
Through six games, Stafford leads the NFL in passing yards with 1,794, and on the surface that kind of production should be powering a team to a much better record than 2-4. Instead, Los Angeles is stuck in a strange, frustrating opening stretch defined by injuries and missed opportunities.
That’s part of why a change at quarterback at least deserves a real look. The Rams are dealing with a roster battered by injuries, and the season has already started to resemble their 2022 run, when Stafford played only nine games and Baker Mayfield ended up seeing plenty of action.
The question now is whether the Rams want to keep leaning almost entirely on their veterans or start using some of the younger players who have barely touched the field. Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson is the obvious name in that conversation.
Simpson is part of a 2026 draft class that still hasn’t made much of a mark on the team’s results this season. But if Los Angeles is looking for a reset, getting him some reps could at least give the Rams a better sense of what they have going forward.
There’s also a bigger issue behind the numbers. Stafford has thrown 249 passes already, more than any other quarterback, and is averaging more than 41 attempts per game.
Last season, he averaged just over 35. That’s a heavy load, and it also feeds into what opponents already know: the Rams are throwing and throwing and throwing some more.
That predictability matters. Defenses can gear up for the pass almost from the opening whistle, and that’s not exactly a comfortable place for an offense to live. Running back Kyren Williams has noticed the trend, too.
A shift wouldn’t come with guarantees, but the Rams may be nearing the point where a change is the smartest play. If Stafford’s role gets scaled back, Simpson could use 2026 snaps as a launch point for the next four or five seasons. That kind of experience would at least help set expectations after a year that hasn’t gone to plan.
In Other News...
Rams Suddenly Have An Offensive Question They May Not Avoid Much Longer
The Rams keep running into the same kind of roster math that makes the rest of the NFC West worth watching. Their offense already took a hit with Davante Adams gone, and with tight end Terrance Ferguson unlikely to be back soon, the group is still waiting for more stability than it currently has. That is why the possibility of adding another receiver has started to feel less like a luxury and more like a question the team may have to answer sooner rather than later.
Across the division, the landscape is hardly getting simpler. The 49ers were pushed hard by the Commanders before escaping with a 23-17 win, a reminder that even veteran teams can leave chances on the table, while Seattle is dealing with its own uncertainty around Sam Darnold and the state of the offense. If Zach Charbonnet is back in Week 7, the Seahawks can lean more on the ground game, but for the Rams the bigger issue is whether their own passing attack can hold up long enough without another move to shore it up. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Face A Huge WR Decision After Latest Injury Blow
The Rams receiver room took another hit when Davante Adams was projected to miss six to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury, adding more pressure to an offense already dealing with multiple injuries to key players. With Matthew Stafford and the passing game now facing a thinner margin for error, the team has been pushed into a tougher roster conversation than it expected this early in the stretch run.
Alex Kay floated the idea of Los Angeles looking at free-agent Tyreek Hill as a way to soften the blow, but the timing may not be on the Rams side. Hills agent has said he is close to signing with another NFL team, and there has been no official report of a deal with Los Angeles, leaving the Rams to weigh whether they need to act quickly or look elsewhere for help. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Injury Trouble Keeps Growing At The Worst Possible Time
The Rams depth chart keeps getting thinner at exactly the wrong moment. Los Angeles placed wide receiver Davante Adams, nose tackle Poona Ford and defensive lineman Kobie Turner on injured reserve, a blow that cuts into both the offense and the front seven as the team turns its attention to a Week 7 matchup with the Raiders. Turner is expected to miss at least four weeks, adding more strain to a roster already trying to absorb a wave of absences.
Trent McDuffie is also day-to-day with a groin injury and did not practice, while linebacker Nate Landman has entered concussion protocol, leaving the Rams with more uncertainty as the week unfolds. In response, the team signed EDGE Darryl Peterson III to the active roster and Jalen Hunt to the practice squad, another reminder that the Rams are scrambling to patch holes while the games keep coming. [Read more 🡒]