Perfect Matthew Stafford Successor Could Be Available for Trade

The Los Angeles Rams have been slammed with injuries to begin the 2024 season. The Rams already placed Joe Noteboom, Steve Avila, Darious Williams, and Puka Nucua on injured reserve. Now in Week 2, Cooper Kupp hurt his ankle.

Things aren't going too smoothly in Los Angeles with the Rams being 0-2.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford has looked good through the first two games of the season but the Rams need to start looking for his successor before being forced to suffer through years of tanking to get a good one. And now the perfect option may have just become available via trade.

NFL News: Carolina Panthers Bench Bryce Young

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Panthers decided to bench Bryce Young in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.

Things haven't gone well for Young after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In 18 career games, he's gone 2-16. Young completed 59% of his passes for 3,122 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

Yes, those numbers are very underwhelming but to add context, the Panthers have one of the worst rosters in the league. The Rams should call Carolina to see what the price tag is for Young. He would be the ideal successor for Stafford.

Stafford is 36 years old and has a long history of injuries. Earlier this offseason, Los Angeles and Stafford agreed on a revised one-year, $40 million extension with no guarantees in 2025. Both sides will likely meet up in the offseason to discuss the future.

That's why a guy like Young makes sense. The former Alabama standout came into the league as an accurate, fearless, and electric playmaker under center. Across 35 games at Alabama, Young completed 65% of passes for 8,356 yards with 80 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He's a Heisman Trophy winner and there was a reason he went No. 1 overall.

Even though things haven't worked out, acquiring Young and allowing him to sit on the bench behind Stafford would be a blessing. Add in the fact that Sean McVay is one of the best offensive minds in the league and you can see the vision.

McVay also has experience with No. 1 overall picks, as Baker Mayfield was with the Rams in 2022. Across five games in Los Angeles, he went 82-of-129 (63.6%) for 850 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. He then catapulted his way into a starting job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he's revived his career.

Getting a player like Young may be an enticing option for Los Angeles and is something they should seriously consider.

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