INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield will be active against the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday night, less than 48 hours after he landed in Los Angeles after being cleared of waivers on Tuesday.
John Wolford and Bryce Perkins are also active as quarterbacks for the Rams on Thursday evening.
Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Thursday that the Rams wanted to see how Wolford’s neck reacted during pregame warm-ups before making a final decision on a starter, with Mayfield expected to start if Wolford wasn’t healthy enough to start to play.
Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that it would be “unprecedented” for Mayfield to play with such a short turnaround, “but I think he would be capable of it if we asked him.”
If Mayfield starts a game, he would be the second No. 1 starting quarterback for the Rams this season. According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, the 2007 Panthers are the only team to have had multiple No. 1 picks from the Common Draft Era (1967) starting at quarterback: David Carr and Vinny Testaverde.
He would also be the third No. 1 to start as quarterback for McVay (Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff). Only two head coaches have had three No. 1 picks from the Common Draft era starting at QB: Bill Belichick and John Fox.
On Saturday, the Rams put Stafford on injured reserve with a spinal cord injury. Stafford has been sidelined since injuring his neck in the Rams’ Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints, a game he left after being evaluated for a concussion. McVay later said Stafford experienced numbness in his legs after scoring in that game.
Although Stafford is eligible to return in Week 17, McVay said “there’s a good chance” he won’t play again this season.