The Los Angeles Rams have benched quarterback Case Keenum for quarterback Jared Goff, ESPN’s Chris Mortenson reports. The Rams are 4-5 on the season and are in third place in the NFC West.
Los Angeles Rams Name Jared Goff Starting Quarterback
The Rams drafted Goff with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He threw for six touchdowns against Air Force in his final college game at Cal. The Tennessee Titans traded the first overall pick to the Rams and they went after Goff.
However, head coach Jeff Fisher said that Goff was nowhere near ready to be the team’s starting quarterback and started the season as the third string quarterback. Even two days ago, Fisher said that Keenum would remain their starting quarterback. Now, Goff will start for them on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
The Rams may have won their last game against the New York Jets, but it was no thanks to their starting quarterback. He went 17-30 passing for 165 yards, but couldn’t find a receiver in the end zone.
The Rams offense is 31st in the NFL. Some may put the blame on running back Todd Gurley, but he shouldn’t get all of the blame. The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Keenum was a problem for their offensive struggles.
Another reason Goff may have been third-stringer was his performance in the preseason. He completed just 22 of 49 passes and committed four turnovers. Goff was named the backup before Week Two after Keenum threw two interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers in Week One.
If Goff struggles through the remainder of this season, the Rams may look into Sean Mannion as their next starter. Mannion was also drafted by the Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Oregon State.
He has thrown for just 31 yards in his regular season career. He looked impressive in the Rams’ preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys.
