Turf Show Times
McVay has revived quarterbacks, but never chosen one. That could change for the Rams in 2026.
The Los Angeles Rams may have quarterback Matthew Stafford locked up for a few more years, but that doesn’t mean that they also don’t have an eye on the future. That was proven when the Rams traded back in the NFL Draft with Atlanta Falcons and acquired a 2026 first round selection.
That selection gave the Rams some flexibility. They can continue to build around Stafford while collecting assets in what will be a better rookie quarterback class. It’s a class that could include Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers, Grant Nussmeier, and potentially others.
It will be the first time that we see what type of quarterback head coach Sean McVay wants. While the Rams have had a lot of offensive success under McVay, he’s never been able to choose his quarterback. When he arrived in 2017, he inherited Jared Goff. McVay arguably chose Stafford. At the same time, it was also simply an opportunity to upgrade at the position for a player that could accelerate the Rams’ Super Bowl window.
Other coaches in the Sean McVay tree have been able to choose their own guys. Zac Taylor was able to choose Joe Burrow in 2020. Kyle Shanahan made the wrong choice, but was able to choose Trey Lance with the third overall pick. Kevin O’Connell chose JJ McCarthy last year while Matt LaFleur chose his guy in Jordan Love.
With that said, there are some relatively fair questions when it comes to McVay’s ability to develop a quarterback of his choosing. McVay played quarterback in high school at Marist, but has never coached the position. Assistant coaches on his staff that have gone on to head coaching positions such as LaFleur, Taylor, and O’Connell all had previous experience as quarterback coaches.
Even Kyle Shanahan who failed to an extent with Lance, but has helped elevate Brock Purdy, had one season as a quarterbacks coach in 2007 with the Houston Texans. McVay has only ever coached wide receivers and tight ends at the positional level.
That isn’t to say that McVay doesn’t understand the quarterback position. As an offensive minded head coach, he needs to understand and know what he needs from each position in the offense. The primary question here is whether or not McVay can be trusted to develop a young quarterback when the Rams inevitably draft one in 2026.
During the McVay era, the Rams have only drafted one quarterback with that player being Stetson Bennett. To say the least, whether for personal reasons or bad scouting, Bennett has been disappointing. Heading into year three, some would have expected Bennett to be embracing a role as the team’s full-time, long-term backup. Instead, the Rams brought back Jimmy Garoppolo and Bennett’s spot on the roster seems far from a guarantee.
Still, how Bennett has performed up to this point shouldn’t be the sole evidence of McVay not being able to develop a young...
