The Los Angeles Rams have an interesting situation developing with Matthew Stafford. While everyone hopes the 37-year-old’s back injury will magically clear up by the time Week 1 rolls around on September 7, that’s no guarantee. Plus, who’s to say it won’t flare up again later in the season?
That’s what Jimmy Garoppolo and, to a lesser extent, Stetson Bennett are for. Still, in a perfect world, the Rams would like to find their QB of the future, perhaps even sooner than later, so he could pick up a few valuable work ethic traits from Stafford along the way. Maybe that’s Bennett, who knows?
But what if the Rams’ front office + coach Sean McVay still think the team’s next starting QB isn’t on the roster yet? That’s where things get interesting.
Recently, the Indianapolis Colts named former Giants first-round pick Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback. Big deal, right?
Well, it means that former No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson has officially fallen out of favor. His agent has already publicly admitted to a lack of “trust” with the organization, but he stopped short of requesting a trade.
Still, even Colts head coach Shane Steichen admitted that Richardson’s future with the Colts is a giant question mark. In other words, the right trade offer could possibly pry the 23-year-old former first-round pick out of Indianapolis.
So, how about the Rams? Former NFL QB turned analyst Dan Orlovsky is already banging the drum, urging the Rams to offer a mid-round draft pick to the Colts in exchange for Richardson. What’s the worst that could happen, the Colts say no?
The Rams already have an extra first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading down with the Atlanta Falcons on draft day, so they can afford to move around some capital. Plus, securing another potential future franchise QB is likely worth the investment, especially for a rocket-armed dual-threat option like Richardson.
Of course, we’ll continue to trust coach McVay’s analysis on whether he thinks trading for Richardson is worth the risk. There’s no guarantee he can wipe away the accuracy and inconsistency issues he’s dealt with across two seasons with the Colts, but if there’s anyone who can turn him into a star, it’s the Rams.
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