And then there was one. Quarterback Drew Allar has signed his rookie deal with the Steelers , the team announced on Friday. That means Rams quarterback Ty Simpson is the lone remaining unsigned QB from the 2026 draft. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck put pen to paper with their respective teams earlier this week. Allar was the No. 78 overall pick in the third round in April after four seasons at Penn State. He is one of four in Pittsburgh ’s QBs room, along with Aaron Rodgers , Mason Rudolph , and Will Howard
And then there was one. Quarterback Drew Allar has signed his rookie deal with the Steelers, the team announced on Friday. That means Rams quarterback Ty Simpson is the lone remaining unsigned QB from the 2026 draft. Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck put pen to paper with their respective teams earlier this week. Allar was the No. 78 overall pick in the third round in April after four seasons at Penn State. He is one of four in Pittsburgh’s QBs room, along with Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Will Howard
The Los Angeles Rams don’t usually make first-round picks and maybe Ty Simpson ’s prolonged waiting game to sign his rookie contract helps explain why, especially now that Fernando Mendoza is under contract. Mendoza and Simpson were the last two first-round picks who had not signed their rookie contracts, but that changed on Thursday as the Las Vegas Raiders officially locked down the first overall pick of the draft. Mendoza signed a four-year, $57 million deal, which we all knew would happen because of the rookie pay scale as per the CBA. We already know what Simpson is going to sign for, we already know it will be fully-guaranteed, but the Rams continue to work on “contract language” with the 13th overall pick. The only other two unsigned rookies in the NFL are quarterback Drew Allar and edge rusher Gabe Jacas . As per Blaine Grisak’s interview with Joel Corry of CBS Sports , the wait with Simpson is likely related to a signing bonus: “Simpson’s camp is probably insisting that the Rams extend the 2024 quarterback payment convention to him since he was drafted one slot lower than Nix,” said Corry. “Nearly every team besides the Jaguars and Rams requires offsets with salary guarantees for draft picks, including those selected in the top 10.” “Based on past practices, Simpson’s contract with the Rams shouldn’t contain offsets,” continued Corry. “The last time the Rams had a first-round pick, edge rusher Jared Verse in 2024, his contract did not contain offsets in the salary guarantees despite being the 19th overall selection.” The Rams report to camp on Saturday. Will Ty Simpson be there?
Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders have a deal. Mendoza and the Raiders agreed to terms on the quarterback’s rookie contract, the team announced Thursday , July 23. Mendoza deal is valued at $57. 2 million. As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Mendoza’s rookie deal was slotted and predetermined, but top draft picks, especially quarterbacks, have some leverage. Signing bonus cash flow, guaranteed money details and offset language are negotiable terms in rookie contracts. The top four quarterbacks selected in this year’s draft – Mendoza, Ty Simpson , Carson Beck and Drew Allar – were all unsigned as of Wednesday morning . The Arizona Cardinals signed Beck to his rookie deal Wednesday afternoon . Cardinals rookies reported to training camp on Wednesday, so there was a sense of urgency to sign Beck. The same can be said for Mendoza as Raiders rookies reported to camp on Thursday. Mendoza’s signing bonus is what stalled the quarterback from originally signing his rookie deal with the Raiders, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to discuss such deals. Single lump sum payments have become customary for No. 1 overall picks. The last No. 1 pick that didn’t receive their signing bonus in a single lump sum payment was Kyler Murray when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft. A person familiar with the Raiders process told USA TODAY Sports the Raiders’ standard practice is paying signing bonuses in instalments. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Now that Mendoza and the Raiders have settled their contract situation, the rookie quarterback can now turn his focus on Year 1 with the Silver and Black. The Raiders signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason. Cousins is expected to start the season while the Raiders take a conservative approach with Mendoza, a quarterback they hope is their franchise quarterback. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Top pick Fernando Mendoza reports to Raiders camp, signs contract
With rookies reporting to training camp on Thursday, the Raiders have taken care of an important piece of business. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza has signed his rookie contract, the team announced. “ Let’s get this thing rolling ,” Mendoza said in a video released by the team on social media. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Mendoza’s deal is worth $57.27 million, fully guaranteed. The Raiders also hold a fifth-year option on the first-round pick. Mendoza’s signing should clear the way for Rams quarterback Ty Simpson and Steelers quarterback Drew Allar to also sign their rookie deals. Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck agreed to terms on his four-year rookie contract earlier this week
According to the link below, the Los Angeles Rams are ranked dead last by ESPN in terms of talented players under the age of 25 on their roster. That’s a very specific stat that doesn’t have to have much bearing in 2026. It could I suppose matter in terms of depth, but there are plenty of players older than 25 across the NFL who are in their prime. But, sure, it’s interesting. There’s plenty of other interesting things going on such as Aaron Donald talk, the Rams gearing up for a real sun at the Super Bowl, training camp will be underway. It’s a good time to be a football fan. The calm before the storm, if you will. Thank you for checking out Turf Show Times and have a great Thursday! “Perhaps you have heard that the Rams are not as fond of first-round draft picks as other teams? Certainly, trades they have made for veterans contribute to the fact that while Los Angeles has a ton of talent, very little of it is under 25 years old. “The Rams have only two players currently under 25 who started games last season: safety Kamren Kinchens , who will be 24 at the end of September, and tight end Terrance Ferguson , who is also 23. Another one of the tight ends, second-round rookie Max Klare, just turned 23 on July 8. “First-round quarterback Simpson will turn 24 in December. The Rams hopeSimpson doesn’t get on the field for a couple of seasons because they have someone much older they would rather see under center: reigning MVP Matthew Stafford , who is 38 years old.” “The contest is void where prohibited by law. 1. How to Enter the Contest: (a) The CBS LA “LA Rams Signed Jersey Give-away” contest will begin on Saturday 8/1/26 at 12:00pm Pacific Time (“PT”) and end on Tuesday 8/4/26 at 11:59pm PT. Contest is sponsored by The Los Angeles Rams. (b) To participate in the contest, users will need to follow the Sports Central X account @SportsCentralLA during the promotional window. Entrant must also repost the Sports Central giveaway entry invitation post to be eligible to win. (c) To enter via X, follow the @SportsCentralLA account during the Entry Period. “ “Rams head coach Sean McVay revealed he’s run into Donald and weighed in on what he expects to happen next. “I have crossed paths with Aaron Donald,” McVay said during an appearance on the The Daily Flock podcast with Jason LaCanfora . “And what he’s going to do is, he is thinking about this. He’s going to go through his process. And the one thing about Aaron Donald is, what he does, he does it full speed ahead.”
The Los Angeles Rams enter training camp as Super Bowl favorites after a blockbuster offseason, but injuries, performance issues, or strong opponents could derail their aspirations. Key storylines include Matthew Stafford's limited participation, the development of rookie QB Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett, and the potential return of Aaron Donald
Jimmy Garoppolo is reportedly considering returning to the NFL in 2026 after initially thinking about retirement. The Rams, with Stetson Bennett as their backup and Ty Simpson a highly drafted rookie, could potentially use Garoppolo's experience if Matthew Stafford were to miss time, though his desire for playing time might lead him to other teams
Free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo considered retirement during the offseason, but Garoppolo has now decided he will come back to play in the right situation, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports. Garafolo noted that nothing is imminent, and it might take a quarterback injury for Garoppolo to sign somewhere. Garoppolo spent the past two seasons with the Rams as Matthew Stafford 's backup. Coach Sean McVay has kept the door open to Garoppolo's return despite the team's first-round selection of Ty Simpson . Garoppolo, 34, was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2014 and also has played for the 49ers and Raiders in his 12 seasons. He has appeared in 85 games with 64 starts -- 55 coming with the 49ers — and is 43-21 as a starter. Garoppolo has totaled 15,828 passing yards, 96 touchdowns and 52 interceptions
Free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo considered retirement during the offseason, but Garoppolo has now decided he will come back to play in the right situation, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports. Garafolo noted that nothing is imminent, and it might take a quarterback injury for Garoppolo to sign somewhere. Garoppolo spent the past two seasons with the Rams as Matthew Stafford’s backup. Coach Sean McVay has kept the door open to Garoppolo’s return despite the team’s first-round selection of Ty Simpson. Garoppolo, 34, was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2014 and also has played for the 49ers and Raiders in his 12 seasons. He has appeared in 85 games with 64 starts -- 55 coming with the 49ers — and is 43-21 as a starter. Garoppolo has totaled 15,828 passing yards, 96 touchdowns and 52 interceptions
There had been four unsigned rookie quarterbacks. There are now three. Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Cardinals and quarterback Carson Beck have agreed to terms on a four-year, $7.4 million deal, as the Cardinals gather for training camp. The amount was never in question. It’s slotted. There’s nothing to negotiate. The question is whether he got more guarantees than others around him received, given the position he plays. Eventually, the contract will be reported and the full percentage of the guarantees will be known. For now, Beck is under contract. He can embark on an effort to disrupt the current plan to make veteran Jacoby Brissett the starter. And the chances of that could increase, if Brissett and the Cardinals don’t work out a new deal before camp opens — and if Brissett declines to practice until they do. Three other rookie quarterbacks are unsigned: Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Rams quarterback Ty Simpson, and Steelers quarterback Drew Allar
Puka Nacua is one of the most productive and successful receivers in the NFL right now, but would he be among the league’s top weapons if not for Matthew Stafford ? If most of his success is credited to Stafford, then the time will come for the Los Angeles Rams to trade or part ways with Nacua, which will probably be shortly after the quarterback retires. On the other hand, if Nacua is an elite weapon for any quarterback, then he’d be the perfect player to keep long-term for Ty Simpson . It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg for quarterbacks and receivers: Who deserves more credit? The wrong answer could cost the Rams over $100 million. As I wrote last week, the Rams should extend Nacua, but with the caveat that they need to have options to part ways when Stafford calls it quits : Given Nacua’s talent as a receiver and importance to Matthew Stafford, a contract extension is reasonable. Given Nacua’s balls-to-the-wall physical playing style that often gets him hurt and his potential for distractions, a deal that gives the Rams options to part ways would be prudent. That piece was about the correlation between the top-paid wide receivers and the teams making the playoffs. Surprisingly, or not, spending top dollars on a receiver didn’t work out for the majority of those teams. In fact, 12 of the top-15 receivers with the highest cap hits in 2026 were on teams that missed the playoffs. I’m assuming for the sake of this article that the Rams will extend Puka Nacua’s contract because they need him right now. As we’ve seen with some recent trades, like the ones involving A.J. Brown and Sauce Gardner , options to make a deal can be open even shortly after an extension is signed. Nacua is important for Stafford, and Stafford is important to Nacua. But given that one of those players is taking his retirement plans on a “year to year” basis, half of the equation could be gone by 2027 or 2028. At which point, the Rams may need to re-evaluate Nacua’s value even after signing an extension. Can Nacua be “Puka” without Stafford? Two years from now there will be a host of variables to consider regarding Nacua staying with the team or not. Has 13 personnel eroded the need for a stud receiver? Is Puka still healthy or has he been injured and missing games? But the most important variable, as far as I’m concerned, is whether Stafford is still the quarterback or not. When he was on the Detroit Lions , Stafford helped Calvin Johnson produce Hall of Fame caliber stats, including three straight first-team All-Pro seasons from 2011 to 2013. We rarely saw Johnson without Stafford, but he was always at his best with Stafford. When Stafford got to the Rams, he immediately helped Cooper Kupp go from a fantastic receiver to being the best receiver in the NFL in 2021. Were it not for Kupp’s injuries, their relationship would have been even more productive. Kupp wasn’t the same last season in Seattle without Stafford, although he was older. He’s also an example of when an extension can go wrong, as Kupp didn’t come close to producing the value needed from a three-year, $80 million deal signed in 2022. When Stafford went down that year, so did the entire team. Plain and simple, Stafford makes his receivers better. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently explained why Smith-Njigba was worth more than Nacua in a trade : “ There are teams that would also (correctly) believe that Nacua is a better fit for Sean McVay’s offense than he would be for anyone else .“ If Stafford retires in 1-2 years, the Rams will need to take a long, hard look at Nacua’s value as it applies to the rest of the team in terms of affordability. They’d also have to assume that whoever takes over as QB won’t have the ability to maximize Nacua’s production quite the way Stafford has been able to, even if that quarterback is Ty Simpson and they really like his two years of development behind the scenes. An extension would run from 2027 onwa
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Training camps will be opening soon. Before 2011, that meant most teams engaging in a game of beat the clock with most of their draft picks. Nowadays, most contracts are signed by Memorial Day weekend. This year, there are four notable exceptions. They are the first four quarterbacks taken in the draft: Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza (first overall), Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (13th overall), Cardinals quarterback Carson Beck (third round, 65th overall), and Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (third round, 76th overall). There’s not much to negotiate. The dollars are set by a formula based on the draft slot. Pressure points in the past have related to signing bonus cash flow, voiding of guarantees, and offsets on guarantees. Surely, all of the deals will get done. Rookie holdouts are now very rare. But no deal is done until it’s done. And it’s getting a little glaring for the first four quarterbacks taken in the draft
Ty Simpson isn’t the only early 2026 draft pick who still hasn’t signed their first contract. In fact, four quarterbacks and seven selections total still haven’t put pen to paper. The first four quarterbacks drafted this year, including Fernando Mendoza (first overall), Simpson (13th), Carson Beck (65th) and Drew Allar (76th) are all without a deal so far, although it’s still far too early to be genuinely concerned about this. Since the rookie wage scale was implemented in 2011, every draft pick has a specific value each year. In other words, before the draft even starts, the total value of every pick’s contract is already set. Unlike the pre-2011 lockout world, when draft picks could negotiate salaries and early picks would eat up massive amounts of cap space, every team already knows what their picks will make, at least in terms of general value. Matthew Stafford , for example, got a six-year contract with a total value of $72 million when he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009, with $41.7 million guaranteed. The salary cap was also just $123 million in 2009. For an example even closer to home, Sam Bradford ’s holdout and subsequent massive contract he signed following the 2010 draft was the final nail in the coffin for the old way of doing things. Needless to say, that’s not what’s happening with Ty Simpson and his fellow top-three round quarterbacks this year. For comparison’s sake, Mendoza’s eventual contract will be fully guaranteed, but will only be worth $57.3 million total value over four years. Simpson’s total value will be right around $25.4 million. In recent years, the hang-ups for draft pick deals have generally involved things like offset language or other relatively minute details. Rookies don’t hold out often anymore, even though there was an example of it last year when Shemar Stewart of the Cincinnati Bengals held out intro training camp. While we don’t have exact details yet, this is likely just the newest relatively minor mutation of the rookie wage scale era. As far as the first-round picks go, Simpson and Mendoza, there hasn’t been much change in how those contracts are done in recent years. The top-overall selection’s contract has been fully guaranteed since the scale was implemented, when Cam Newton signed for $22 million . Both of those aforementioned passers will get fully guaranteed deals this year, too. But the other fine-print details are the likely sticking points, and will likely set a precedent for next year’s class and those beyond it as well. It’s even easier to guess what’s going on with Beck and Allar, the third and fourth quarterbacks taken in this year’s draft. If you recall last year, almost every second-round pick held out well into July (right around this time last year, right before training camp, fittingly). That was entirely about guaranteed money and how much they were going to get after past second rounders only received partial guarantees on their rookie deals. Now, this year’s 64th-overall pick ( Bud Clark for the Seattle Seahawks ) has a rookie contract valued at $7.9 million with $5.4 million guaranteed, or, in other words, 68% of the deal is guaranteed. Last year, the 65th pick in the draft, Darius Alexander of the New York Giants , had just under $1.6 million of his $6.7 million overall contract guaranteed, or just below 24%. That’s a sizable disparity. Needless to say, you can understand why a quarterback drafted in that position wants a bigger guarantee. And next year, non-quarterbacks taken in the third round will want a guarantee commensurate with those of their classmates, and the process will continue down the line later and later into the draft. Deadlines spur action, and with training camp looming there’s a soft deadline on the horizon to work these contracts out. At this point it would be shocking if these quarterbacks don’t get on the field soon. The next time someone asks you why these deals aren’t done and should they be worried about it, you can [... truncated ...]
The Los Angeles Rams' quarterback situation is highlighted, with Matthew Stafford considered an 'A+' but uncertainty surrounding his backups, Stetson Bennett, Ty Simpson, and an unknown player. The team drafted Ty Simpson to potentially provide stability after Stafford's career, though his readiness is unconfirmed. The article also briefly mentions Kobie Turner positively
When it comes to the 2027 quarterback class, hope springs eternal. Especially after a 2026 class that produced two first-rounders in Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson , and a 2025 class that produced two in Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart , the NFL prayer is that the 2027 group of signal-callers is more like the 2024 version, when there were three taken with the first three picks, six in the top 12, and four legit NFL starters in Caleb Williams , Jayden Daniels , Drake Maye , and Bo Nix . Even the relative stragglers (Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy) haven’t run entirely out of road when it comes to their NFL potential. Ostensibly, the 2027 class looks absolutely ridiculous from a tools and potential perspective. We could have Texas ’ Arch Manning , Oregon ’s Dante Moore , Ohio State’s Julian Sayin , Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina ’s LaNorris Sellers , Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker , Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr, and Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby (depending on how Sorsby is affected by recent gambling allegations) all fighting to rest atop next year’s QB draft listings, and there are ways in which each one could do it. Not to mention the fact that there will be a surprise interloper who comes out of nowhere to show NFL potential. That’s at least eight quarterbacks for NFL teams to consider next year. Of course, we also know that not every sure-thing prospect will ultimately become that even before he’s drafted; we’ve all seen the super-hyped guys fall down when they get hit without a plan. The idea with this series is to evaluate each of the prominent future prospects with one eye on what they’ve already done, and the other on what they need to do in order to reach their ultimate ceiling. We continue the deep dive with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, who fought to stay in school despite a 2025 season that had him as a more than credible NFL prospect. Last season, Chambliss completed 294 of 448 passes (65.6%) for 3,934 yards (8.8 YPA), 22 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 106.9. He also ran the ball 130 times for 585 yards (4.5 YPA), eight touchdowns and three fumbles. After that, Chambliss filed a lawsuit to contend the NCAA denying him an extra year of eligibility, and he won that case. Now that he has another developmental year before he tries the NFL on for size, what’s already on the ball, and what does he need to refine? Let’s dive into the tape. One of the most interesting things about Chambliss as a smaller, inherently mobile quarterback, is that he doesn’t need to leave the pocket to hit the middle of the field. Last season, when throwing to the middle of the field (directly to the middle; not middle left or middle right), Chambliss completed 46 of 70 passes for 825 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 144.0. His 44.45 EPA on such throws was the NCAA’s 11th-best (minimum 50 attempts), and it’s one of the more NFL-ready parts of his game. Teams at the next level that work their passing games over the middle of the field (or want to do so) won’t have to take leave of that notion with Chambliss as their quarterback. On throws outside the pocket last season, Chambliss completed 37 of 64 passes for 500 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 97.1. Chambliss has a good sense of his own mechanics when he’s throwing on the move — the arm strength is enough for him to hit his targets when he has to throw off-platform, and when he rights his shoulders to the target, he’s capable of making some really nice downfield passes from a moving pocket. Chambliss has learned to deal with pressure very well — in 2025, he completed 44 of 81 passes when disrupted for 649 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 84.9. Chambliss’ yards per attempt average of 8.0 under pressure also tells you that he doesn’t automatically become Captain Checkdown when pressured. The aforementioned pocket movement helps him a lot in an NFL-conversant sen
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The Los Angeles Rams must feel pretty good about the success of their monumental 2021 trade that swapped Jared Goff and a cache of picks for Matthew Stafford. The move resulted in a Super Bowl championship at the team’s home in SoFi Stadium. Years later Stafford is finding new heights in his career. He just put a bow on his most productive season yet and earned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player honors. Even with things going so well, the Rams understand quarterback is the most important position in football. Stafford’s career continuation is on a year-to-year basis. He could easily decide to call it quits after 2026. LA decided now is the time to prepare for the future. They drafted Ty Simpson with the thirteenth overall pick earlier this spring. There is plenty of time to discern what Simpson brings to the table and whether he’s someone that the Rams can be trusted with the keys as soon as 2027. As training camp approaches, now seems like a good moment to ponder on Simpson’s NFL ceiling. For as good as Stafford is, could Simpson one day surpass him? For most of Stafford’s NFL tenure, he was often the 8th to 12th best quarterback in the league. Many in front of him have hung up their cleats: Peyton Manning , Tom Brady , Drew Brees , Matt Ryan , Philip Rivers , Ben Roethlisberger , Eli Manning , Andrew Luck , and others. The league’s new elite quarterbacks are stylistically very different from those who have come before. There is a significant difference in the way they play the game from what makes Stafford successful. I’m thinking of Patrick Mahomes , Josh Allen , Lamar Jackson , Joe Burrow , Drake Maye , Caleb Williams , Jordan Love , and more. The NFL is in good hands with this emerging crop. But modern professional football almost requires quarterbacks to be able to win with their legs. You can get by with a savvy pocket passer, although in short-yardage and goal line situations you may be leaving meat on the bone if your signal caller can’t pick it up himself. This alone is one of the biggest changes the Rams will see when they one day transition from Stafford to Simpson. And certainly Stafford brings a headiness to his play that is unrivaled by the next generation. His no-look passes and ability to quickly progress through the defense gives Los Angeles a massive inherent advantage. There are tradeoffs for nearly any player teams decide to put under center. At least on the surface the Rams seem to understand where the quarterback position is headed. Simpson fits that bill from a stylistic standpoint. A common draft season knock against both Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson was that they are probably NFL starters but may be not better than mid-tier. Simpson has frequently been compared to Brock Purdy , a former seventh round pick and someone who may never become elite himself. But Simpson has Sean McVay’s seal of approval. That is meaningful for nearly anyone on the offensive side of the ball. While seeing Simpson in such a favorable light does require some hand waving and looking past a small sample size, you can certainly see why the Rams felt he was a fit for their system and that he has the potential to grow into a difference maker. One of the main concerns with Simpson is his frame. He stands 6-1 and weighed 211 lbs. at the NFL scouting combine. That weight is likely significantly heavier than where he played at last season while he was battling gastritis. For example, the below list of quarterbacks have a earned reputation for missing time. Being slight of frame is a real concern. Brock Purdy, 212 lbs JJ McCarthy, 219 lbs Jayden Daniels , 21o lbs Lamar Jackson, 216 lbs Kyler Murray , 207 lbs Joe Burrow, 221 lbs Josh Allen is pushing 240 pounds. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are in the mid-220’s. Even 10 additional pounds may make a big difference in terms of sustaining hits over the course of a season. With an opportunity to observe one of the most savvy passers in football, time to build out his ph
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Derek Carr is open to returning to the NFL for the right situation, and if his dream is to win a Super Bowl and get his game straight by finally playing with a great team, then the Los Angeles Rams could be the “special” opportunity that the veteran quarterback says he needs right now. Appearing on Good Morning Football on Friday, Carr said that teams have reached out to him to gauge his interest in playing in 2026, and the quarterback said, “I’ll never say never, but it would take a special situation,” noting that a few teams contact him. He added that he’s at the point that “I just want to win. I want to win.” The Rams are probably going to win a lot of games next season and they could use a veteran backup, even if the rumors are that L.A. will move on with the options they have on the team right now. But signing Carr by offering him a backup role behind Matthew Stafford without having to compete against Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson for it would also be the ideal situation for the Rams. If Stafford gets injured, L.A. will have a legitimate replacement option already on the depth chart. If Carr’s intention is to rebuild his career and experience real success for the first time in his career, then following the same path as Baker Mayfield and learning from Sean McVay and Stafford should be his goal. There are still three weeks before training camp starts to make it happen. So he’s clearly not going to play for the Browns or the Cardinals. The Rams wanted to bring back Jimmy Garoppolo for another year, giving Simpson a full season to develop behind the scenes, but the veteran is still contemplating retirement and has no plans to return to L.A. that we know about. Carr last played in the NFL with the Saints in 2024, throwing 15 touchdowns in 10 games. He’s 35, which is still young enough for Carr to spend one year on the Rams as a backup and potentially hit the ground running if an opportunity presents itself in 2027; just think of how it worked for Sam Darnold when he signed with the 49ers in 2023. He has since won 14 games with two different teams. Darnold is much younger than Carr, but he’ll be much more attractive as a free agent in 2027 if he plays with a winner—even as a backup, potentially snagging a couple of starts along the way—than if he plays for a bad team or just stays home all year. If Carr just wants to win, as he says he does, then there is one blindingly clear option in front of him. It’s the L.A. Rams. But do the Rams want him and does Carr want to win, or does he want to start? He probably can’t have both
The Las Vegas Raiders rookies report to training camp in 13 days and yet two of their 10 member 2026 draft class remain unsigned. Yet, many Raiders fans are not worried about it. I agree. Las Vegas has yet to sign first-round pick (and No. 1 overall choice) quarterback Fernando Mendoza and fourth-round pick, cornerback Jermod McCoy. There are currently less than 10 unsigned draft pick around the league and two of them are Raiders. Still, I don’t think there’s much to be concerned about. The only first-round draft picks who are unsigned are Mendoza and fellow quarterback Ty Simpson , who was the No. 13 overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams . They were the only two quarterbacks taken in the first round. There has been media speculation that both players are unsigned because of details with secondary contract language such as guarantee payout scheduling, offset language and voiding rules. So, it’s just a matter of time. In McCoy’s case, a signing delay may be related to his injury status. The Tennessee product was considered a first-round talent but his stock fell because of injury concerns. So, there could be some contract language involved with his injury status. These things will work out and it seems our readers get that. Here are some of your responses: AA Raider Think McCoy is going to be the most difficult just because where he was picked was so far below his value. U_of_Mars no Keithg813 Mendoza’s agent is waiting for Ty Simpson to sign to use the guarantee money language in Mendoza’s contract. It will get done. Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system!
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
