Jared Goff will have to compete to be the Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback in 2021 if he’s not traded in the offseason, NFL Network reported Wednesday.
Rams general manager Les Snead created a stir Tuesday when he sidestepped questions about Goff’s future with the team by saying that the fifth-year player “is a Ram at this moment.”
If Goff is still around, he can expect an open competition with John Wolford, according to NFL Network. Snead and coach Sean McVay reportedly like Wolford after his late-season performance starting in place of Goff, who had thumb surgery.
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Wolford, a more mobile quarterback, started Week 17 against the Arizona Cardinals and got the nod to start the wild-card game against Seattle. He was injured early in the game, which paved the way for Goff’s return.
The 25-year-old Wolford finished 25 for 44 for 260 yards and an interception in the two combined games. They were the first starts of his NFL career. Wolford signed a two-year deal worth $1.54 million last year.
Goff, meanwhile, signed a four-year, $134 million extension less than two years ago, including $110 million in total guaranteed money. The first year of that extension takes effect in 2021 with Goff set to make a base salary of $25.3 million.
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Goff completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,952 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while also losing four fumbles. Goff’s yards and touchdowns were his fewest under the leadership of McVay, whose first year was 2017.
Snead made it a point to underscore anything is possible with the salary cap. He would know, considering the team was in similar territory last season and parted with running back Todd Gurley just as a new contract extension was set to kick in with the Rams.
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–Field Level Media