Rams QB John Wolford will get a chance to prove himself if Jared Goff can’t play

Jared Goff has gone four and a half seasons in the NFL without missing a single game due to injury, but that could change next week. Goff reportedly broke his right thumb after hitting it on a player’s helmet during the third quarter of Sunday’s loss, and his status for Week 17 is very much in doubt.

If Goff is unable to play, the Rams will turn to a player who has never taken a single snap in the regular season and just this year became Goff’s backup. That player, of course, is 25-year-old John Wolford.

For most non-Rams fans, Wolford’s name doesn’t ring a bell. Even for some casual observers in L.A., he’s a relative unknown. After all, he’s never played a game in the NFL. But this could be his first legitimate chance to prove he belongs as a potential starter one day.

Up to this point, Wolford’s only NFL exposure has come in the preseason. In 2018, he completed 8 of 20 passes for 89 yards and one interception, losing one fumble in the Rams’ 10-9 loss to the Eagles on Aug. 30. That was his only preseason action of the year, but he got another chance to showcase his skills in 2019.

Last preseason, he played in all four games, completing 25 of 44 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t turn the ball over once and rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries. Unfortunately, Wolford didn’t get the chance to play exhibition games this year after the preseason was nixed due to the pandemic, but the Rams felt confident enough to make him QB2, opting not to bring back someone like Blake Bortles.

We may find out if that was the right call next week in the event that Goff misses the game and Wolford is thrust into the starting lineup. Sean McVay showed unwavering confidence in Wolford throughout the offseason, endorsing him as a quality No. 2 option behind Goff on the depth chart.

“John Wolford is a guy that we’re very excited about. We feel like he is more than capable of continuing to ascend and develop,” McVay said back in April. “I think his skill set and just the way that he’s wired above the neck are great traits and things that we look for from that quarterback position. … You never know exactly how this thing sorts itself out, but if you said, ‘We’re going into a season and John Wolford is your backup, and God forbid something happen to Jared, do you think he can come in operate and have you function as an offense?’ The answer is absolutely.”

Wolford’s exposure to the rest of the NFL has been minimal, which may not be a bad thing. The Cardinals will only have a small sample size of tape to watch if they’re forced to prepare for Wolford in Week 17.

On that film, though, they’ll see some outstanding throws by the young quarterback – like this one last preseason.

In that same game, he threw a dart on the run to Kendall Blanton, showing off his mobility and arm strength outside the pocket. He’s certainly faster and more elusive than Goff, and considering how often McVay likes to get his quarterbacks outside the pocket, that’s something the Rams are almost certain to use if Wolford gets the start Sunday.

There’s a difference between facing backups in the preseason and going up against guys like Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker in the season finale, of course. But Wolford has been seasoned by an outstanding Rams defense every week in practice – even if he does mostly face the second-team defense.

Starting against Arizona would be a huge test for the 25-year-old, but if he can execute McVay’s offense and avoid costly turnovers, the Rams could have some success.