Quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, was in street clothes for the Rams’ 28-0 loss to the 49ers on Monday. That won’t be the case Sunday, however, as Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said Friday that Goff will back up Case Keenum for the team’s Los Angeles opener against the Seahawks (Twitter link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com).
Goff, who was previously behind both Keenum and Sean Mannion on the depth chart, hasn’t developed as quickly as the Rams hoped he would when they traded up to draft him. General manager Les Snead dealt a handful of highly valuable picks – including first-rounders this year and next, not to mention multiple second-rounders – to the Titans to secure Goff. The former Cal star didn’t progress enough in either training camp or the preseason to earn a spot on the Week 1 active roster, though, and he became the first quarterback to go No. 1 overall and not start the opener of his rookie season since the Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell in 2007.
Considering what Keenum provided in the Rams’ embarrassing Week 1 defeat, Goff could usurp the starting role under center sooner than later. Keenum, an undrafted free agent in 2012, completed just 17 of 35 passes for a paltry 130 yards and two interceptions against the 49ers, whom many expect to compete for the No. 1 pick this year. He might not fare much better this week against an excellent Seahawks defense, one that yielded 10 points and sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill five times last Sunday, which could further hasten the official start of the Goff era.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.