Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is clearly in favor of a reunion with free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

"Absolutely. That's my guy!" Stafford told TMZ Sports when asked if he would want Beckham on the team in the future.

"I keep in contact with him. I know he's been trying to get healthy. We'll see what happens."

Beckham played the back half of last season with the Rams and helped the team win its first Super Bowl in Los Angeles. He notably starred in the playoffs with 21 catches for 288 yards and two scores.

Unfortunately, Beckham suffered a torn ACL during the Super Bowl. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network previously reported that he's expected to return to the field in mid-November.

OBJ should have multiple quality options to pick his next team. Of note, the Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly in the mix, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.

But the Rams should be as well. Stafford isn't the only Ram who has publicly expressed interest in Beckham returning, as cornerback Jalen Ramsey has done so too.

At the moment, though, Beckham is working his way back to the field as the NFL season plays out. He'll be an excellent midseason addition wherever he goes.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay believes the supporting cast around Matthew Stafford has to step up following the team's 22-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

"I love Matthew Stafford," McVay told reporters after the game. "He is competing and doing everything in his power for this team. He needs some help. We've got to be able to help him."

McVay didn't specifically call out his offensive line, but one can assume that was one of the targets of his comment.

Andrew Whitworth left a void on the left side when he retired following the 2021 season, and the Rams have been beset by injuries this year.

As a result, Stafford has been sacked an NFL-high 21 times, with five coming Sunday night. At this pace, the 2014 Pro Bowler will absorb 71 sacks, which would be the third-most in a season.

Aside from Cooper Kupp, the Rams' receiving corps hasn't exactly delivered, either. Most notably, Allen Robinson II has struggled, catching just 12 passes for 107 yards and one touchdown.

Stafford has absorbed a lot of punishment across his 14 years in the league as well. He might have missed just eight games from 2011 to 2021, but that didn't mean he was always healthy. Entering this season, he was dealing with elbow tendinitis, which raised questions over his general status.

Even if the Rams get improved offensive line play, it might not matter that much if Stafford's elbow continues to bother him.

To some degree, Los Angeles' performance this year is a consequence of its team-building approach. Focusing on star power and veterans at the expense of depth resulted in a Super Bowl triumph in 2021, but the bill comes due sooner or later.

In the offseason, talk of a possible dynasty in Southern California was a bit premature. At the very least, the Rams appeared to be in a good position to defend their NFL crown. Instead, simply making the playoffs might be a challenge for the 2-3 squad.

The Los Angeles Rams were reportedly prepared to sign Jimmy Garoppolo if the division-rival 49ers released him.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Rams planned to target Garoppolo as a backup to Matthew Stafford, who dealt with a lingering elbow issue throughout the offseason and looked rusty in Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The 49ers were reportedly unaware that the Rams were waiting in the wings ready to pounce.

"It was going to be such a Rams move to make," a member of the 49ers organization told Schefter. "Sean McVay and Kevin Demoff would have been basking in it."

After failing to find a trade partner, the 49ers and Garoppolo agreed to a restructured contract that could pay the quarterback up to $16 million with incentives. He will open the 2022 season as the backup to Trey Lance, the 2021 first-round pick whom the 49ers traded three first-round picks to acquire.

"Seeing the other opportunities that were out there and you weigh in the pros and cons of everything," Garoppolo said after agreeing to the restructured deal. "Trust me, there was a lot of back and forth going on just with other teams and what I wanted my future to look like. And so, this is what I wanted."

The 49ers failed to trade Garoppolo in large part because he spent the offseason rehabbing from shoulder surgery. The NFL's game of quarterback musical chairs played out almost entirely while Garoppolo was unable to throw for interested teams.

While the pairing didn't happen, the Rams' interest in Garoppolo is interesting from a theoretical standpoint. It may mean the coaching staff is a little more concerned about Stafford's elbow than they've let on this offseason. Stafford looked nothing like the MVP candidate he was a year ago Thursday night, throwing three interceptions and several other wildly inaccurate passes.

Garoppolo would have been an elite backup option in case of a Stafford injury, capable of at least keeping the Rams in the playoff picture. Instead, John Wolford opened the season as the backup to Stafford.

There is going to be a new Super Bowl champion if the Los Angeles Rams' offensive line doesn't improve.

Andrew Whitworth retired after helping lead the Rams to the Lombardi Trophy last season, and the offensive front looked absolutely lost without him. The Buffalo Bills sacked Matthew Stafford seven times, oftentimes without a single extra blitzer, and overwhelmed the Rams on the way to a commanding 31-10 victory in Thursday's season opener at SoFi Stadium.

It was ugly right from the start for the Rams, who were in comeback mode after allowing a touchdown on the opening possession and never established an offensive rhythm as Von Miller and Buffalo's defensive line dominated.

The offensive line, and Miller's impact, caught the attention of plenty on social media:

Los Angeles looked sloppy, disorganized and simply outmatched whenever its offense was on the field, and that's not even getting to when Josh Allen obliterated its defense on the other end while accounting for four touchdowns.

Facing pressure all night, Stafford finished 29-of-41 for 240 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions and looked nothing like the version of the quarterback who lifted the Lombardi Trophy last season.

Fortunately for the Rams, they won't have to face the contender that is the Bills again unless they make a second straight Super Bowl.

Things will presumably get a bit easier in Week 2 when they host the Atlanta Falcons.

Matthew Stafford and Drew Brees have some things in common.

Both quarterbacks are Super Bowl champions, and now both are tied for the fewest number of games (183) to reach 50,000 passing yards in NFL history. Stafford accomplished the feat on a pass to Cooper Kupp in Thursday's season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Stafford entered Thursday's game with 49,995 passing yards in 182 games across 13 seasons.

The only other active quarterbacks to reach 50,000 passing yards are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady and Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers and Indianapolis Colts' Matt Ryan. Peyton Manning and John Elway are also on the list, though neither accomplished the feat as quickly as Stafford or Brees.

Brees joined the 50,000-yard club on Dec. 8, 2013, in a 31-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. He threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns in that game. It was his 13th season in the NFL.

At the time, the former New Orleans Saints signal-caller was just the fifth quarterback to throw for 50,000 yards, joining Manning, Elway, Brett Favre and Dan Marino.

Brees finished his career having thrown for 80,358 yards in 20 seasons, which ranks second in NFL history behind Brady, who enters 2022 having thrown for 84,520 yards in 22 seasons.

The other quarterbacks to throw for 50,000 are Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning.

In his 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, Stafford threw for 45,109 yards. In his first season with the Rams in 2021, he threw for 4,886 yards.

The 34-year-old ranks 12th on the NFL's all-time passing yards list, though he'll undoubtedly move into 11th place and surpass Elway's 51,475 yards this season, provided he stays healthy.

Stafford has been managing an elbow injury for a while, including during the 2021 season, and the ailment has caused some concern. So there's always a possibility he misses some time this year.