Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay waves on Jared Goff’s future at QB

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif .– Sean McVay’s words ceased, but not before the Los Angeles Rams coach answered a pointed question about Jared Goff’s status as a Rams quarterback.

“Yeah, he’s our quarterback,” McVay said in a Zoom session with reporters, “right now.”

It was Saturday, immediately after a 32-18 division-round loss to the Green Bay Packers that ended the Rams’ season.

On Sunday, in a final video conference with reporters before breaking up for the offseason, McVay was asked to clarify his statement.

“Everything is being evaluated,” McVay said. “I’m not prepared to make statements about anyone – starting position or not, we’re going to have a level of competition in everything we do.”

McVay has emphasized competition in his four seasons as a coach, but this is the first time the theme has conspicuously included the quarterback.

Four seasons remain on Goff’s $ 110 million guaranteed contract, but on Sunday McVay would not guarantee Goff’s place on the roster going forward.

“We’re in a situation where we’re in evaluation mode,” McVay said when asked if there was a scenario where Goff wouldn’t be on the list in 2021. “We’re moving forward, we’re looking towards the future, and I can’t answer any of these questions until I step back and assess all that is in the best interests of the Rams. “

The Rams’ offense behaved inconsistently throughout a 10-6 season, and the frustration between McVay and Goff became apparent as the season wore on. Goff, who had 3,962 yards and 20 touchdowns with 17 turnovers, drew public criticism from McVay for the first time in their four seasons together after a Week 12 loss to divisional rival San Francisco 49ers, so that he had several turnovers in a 23-20 loss.

“Our quarterback needs to take better care of the football,” McVay said after the game.

With a Division title on the line in Week 16, a 20-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Goff rushed for 234 yards with an interception that he said was among the worst games of his five-year career, but he also earned credit for finishing the game after breaking his thumb at the end of the third quarter.

Goff underwent surgery a day later with hopes of making it back in time for the playoffs.

Substitute John Wolford, a former undrafted free agent, made his first NFL appearance early in Week 17 and helped the Rams to an 18-7 victory.

As the Rams prepared for a rematch against the Seahawks the following week in a wild playoff, Goff told McVay he was capable of playing, but McVay opted early in the week to name Wolford the starter as Goff continued to recover.

However, Wolford was forced out in the first quarter against the Seahawks in the wild card round due to a neck injury, and Goff came in to pass for 155 yards and a touchdown, leading the Rams to a victory of 30-20.

After the game, Goff said it was tough when McVay told him earlier this week that Wolford would start.

“As a competitor of course I wanted to be there and I wanted to play and I felt I could make a difference,” said Goff. “He’s the coach, he had to make a decision he had to make early in the week to come out in front of some stuff. I understand. But as a competitor, of course, I wanted to play and I was ready to. to play. . “

With Wolford ruled out ahead of the divisional round game against the Packers, Goff – less than three weeks away from thumb surgery – started and completed 21 of 27 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.

“My job is to win the game,” Goff said when asked after the game if he felt a sense of personal accomplishment with his performance. “There is absolutely no moral victory, especially in the playoffs.”

“You really saw a guy who stepped in. He did what he could, I thought he had made a few plays, thought he could see the pitch,” McVay said after the game. “He did a good job today.”