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Lindsey ThiryESPN
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Sean McVay’s words stopped, but not before the Los Angeles Rams coach answered a sharp question about Jared Goff’s status as the Rams’ quarterback.
“Yes, he’s our quarterback,” McVay said during a Zoom session with reporters, “right now.”
That was Saturday, in the immediate aftermath of a 32-18 divisional round playoff loss against the Green Bay Packers that ended the Rams’ season.
On Sunday, during a final video conference with reporters, McVay was asked to clarify his statement.
“Everything is being evaluated,” said McVay. “I’m not ready to make any statements against anyone – starting position or not, we’ll have some degree of competition in everything we do.”
McVay has emphasized competition on the roster throughout his four seasons as a coach, but this is the first time the theme has emphatically featured quarterback.
Four seasons remain on Goff’s $ 110 million guaranteed contract, but on Sunday, McVay would not guarantee Goff’s place on the roster.
“We are in a situation where we are in evaluation mode,” McVay said when asked if there was a scenario where Goff would not be on the roster in 2021. “We’re moving forward, we’re looking ahead, and I can’t answer any of those questions until I step back and evaluate everything that’s in the best interest of the Rams.”
The Rams’ attack performed inconsistently over a 10-6 season, and the frustration between McVay and Goff became apparent as the season progressed. Goff, who passed 3,962 yards and 20 touchdowns with 17 turnovers, received public criticism from McVay for the first time in their four seasons together after losing to division rival San Francisco 49ers in week 12 when he had multiple turnovers in a 23-20 defeat.
“Our quarterback needs to take better care of football,” McVay said after the game.
With a divisional title at stake in week 16, a 20-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Goff went on for 234 yards with an interception he said was one of the worst games of his five-year career, but he also deserved rightfully taking credit for the game after breaking his thumb late in the third quarter.
Goff underwent surgery a day later hoping to return in time for the playoffs.
Backup John Wolford, a former free agent, made his first NFL appearance in Week 17, helping the Rams to an 18-7 victory.
As the Rams prepared for a rematch against the Seahawks the following week in a wildcard playoff, Goff told McVay he was able to play, but McVay opted to call Wolford the starter early in the week as Goff recovered .
However, Wolford had to retire against the Seahawks in the wildcard round in the first quarter due to a neck injury, and Goff went in to pass 155 yards and a touchdown, leading the Rams to a 30-20 victory.
After the game, Goff said it was difficult when McVay told him early in the week that Wolford would start.
“As a competitor, of course, I wanted to be out 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 that he had to make early in the week to come out on some things. I get it. But as a competitor I naturally wanted to play and I was ready to play.”
With Wolford ruled out prior to the division-round game against the Packers, Goff – less than three weeks away from thumb surgery – began and completed 21 of 27 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.
“My job is to win the game,” said Goff when asked after the game if he felt a sense of personal satisfaction with his performance. “There are absolutely no moral victories, especially in the playoffs.”
“You really saw a man intervening. He did what he could, I thought he made a few plays, thought he saw the field well,” McVay said after the game. “He did well today.”