Quarterback Matthew Stafford is off to a good start in his 17th season in the NFL, logging 739 passing yards and 5 pass touchdowns. Stafford signed an extension with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this offseason that will keep him in the City of Angels for two more years.
After worries about Stafford and his back issues during training camp and heading into the regular season, it appears those issues are no more.
The quarterback is approaching 40 years old and is near the end of his career. While signing his extension with the Rams, the player could call it quits any time, or an unfortunate injury to his back could force him into retirement.
The Super Bowl-winning QB has looked good this season, but one NFL analyst believes Los Angeles should start planning for the era after Stafford.
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner released his mock draft after the fourth week of the college football season and has the Rams selecting a quarterback.
The draft order in this mock draft is based on FanDuel’s Super Bowl odds.
Rams Select A Quarterback In Round One
In the mock draft, the Los Angeles Rams are drafting at the 25th overall pick. Renner has the Rams selecting Texas Christian redshirt junior quarterback Josh Hoover.
“The Rams have to start thinking about a quarterback of the future, and Hoover has an intriguing skillset to develop behind Matthew Stafford. He’s fearless in the pocket with a willingness to attack with anticipation down the field,” Renner wrote.
Hoover is in his third year as the starter for the Horned Frogs and led the team to a 3-0 start this collegiate season.
The quarterback has put up 1,000 passing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. In his college career, he put up 7,157 passing yards and 53 passing touchdowns.
Hoover is currently ranked as the 14th overall prospect and the 4th-best quarterback in the 2026 mock draft.
Next QB Already On Team?
The drama surrounding Matthew Stafford’s back had people questioning if he was ready for the 2025 NFL season and what would happen if he were to go down during a game.
Los Angeles re-signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year deal to bring him back to the squad. Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he believes Jimmy G is a starting-caliber player and that he is grateful that he returned to Los Angeles.
If anything were to happen to Stafford and his back, Garoppolo would be the next man up for the organization. Garoppolo has put up multiple seasons with over 3,800 passing yards and has led a team to the Super Bowl.
The possibility of the Rams drafting a successor to Stafford remains iffy, but if the team were to draft Josh Hoover, he would most likely sit behind Jimmy Garoppolo.