The Rams Should Not Pursue Sam Darnold

There have been rumors circulating around that Sam Darnold could replace Matthew Stafford for the 2025 NFL season if the Rams move off their legendary gunslinger. Those rumors should stay rumors as Darnold is not remotely close to a good fit in Los Angeles.

Darnold impressed in Minnesota but it also became quite clear that once teams got film on him, the Vikings offense suffered. Now Darnold has earned himself another opportunity in the NFL and there are a lot of organizations that could benefit from his knowledge and his skills. The Rams are not one of them.

Quarterbacks are such a tricky thing to figure out because their success is oftentimes predicated on things out of their control. Things like the players around them, the offensive scheme, the playcalling. There is a reason why he was successful in Minnesota and not in Carolina or New York.

Darnold's play style does not fit for the Rams and if we recall the end of the 2024 season, Stafford who is without a doubt a better processor and thrower of the football than Darnold, struggled to move the Rams' offense up and down the field.

Darnold succeeded in Minnesota due to Kevin O'Connell's coaching and the fact he has the best wide receiver in the NFL on his team in Justin Jefferson. While Puka Nacua is able to produce like Jefferson, the Rams do not have their versions of Jordan Addison or T.J. Hockenson.

Tyler Higbee is old, and Cooper Kupp is out the door. McVay needs a quarterback who can make constant audibles/ changes at the line of scrimmage, who can get the ball out quickly, and who doesn't take unnecessary sacks. Darnold is not that guy.

McVay's red zone offense was awful in 2024 and considering Darnold has a tendency to throw the ball into coverage, McVay's love for throwing the ball in the red zone, in a condensed field will lead to game-losing turnovers.

There are a lot of places that Darnold can succeed at but the current state of the Rams would not produce desired results. Plus Kyle Shanahan had him for a year and knows all his weaknesses. Just not a good move.