Rams to rest QB Matthew Stafford; Jimmy Garoppolo gets start

The Los Angeles Rams are resting quarterback Matthew Stafford and will start Jimmy Garoppolo for the regular-season finale on Sunday against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.

Rams coach Sean McVay made the announcement Wednesday after giving an indication Monday that he planned to rest most of the team's key starters.

The Rams (10-6) have won the NFC West by virtue of a tiebreaker should they lose to the second-place Seahawks (9-7). Los Angeles will be at home for the wild-card round, either as a fourth or third seed in the NFC playoffs.

A victory over Seattle could move Los Angeles from fourth to third and a game against either the Washington Commanders or Green Bay Packers. A loss to the Seahawks and a win by Tampa Bay (9-7) over the New Orleans Saints would boost the Buccaneers to the third seed, and the Rams would host the loser of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions as those teams battle for the top seed.

Stafford, 36, has started all 16 games and completed 340 of 517 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

The first overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by Detroit, Stafford has passed for 59,809 yards, 377 touchdowns and 188 interceptions in 222 games (all starts) for the Lions (2009-20) and Rams (2021-present).

He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023.

Garoppolo, 33, is in his first season with the Rams after signing as a free agent in March and has not appeared in a game. He has thrown for 15,494 career yards, 94 TDs and 51 picks in 81 games (63 starts) for the New England Patriots (2014-16), San Francisco 49ers (2017-22) and Las Vegas Raiders (2023).

New England selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Eastern Illinois.

--Field Level Media