The Los Angeles Rams won the waiver sweepstakes for Baker Mayfield on Tuesday.
The Rams claimed the former top overall pick after he was waived by the Carolina Panthers on Monday due to his struggles.
While some pundits may think it was weird for the Rams to claim him, it makes sense for a few reasons, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
“They believe in his talent. They need a QB with Matthew Stafford sidelined for the season and John Wolford dealing with a neck injury. And if Mayfield signs elsewhere this off-season, the Rams could get back a compensatory draft pick,” Schefter tweeted.
Mayfield is expected to start for the rest of the 2022 season as Stafford recovers from a concussion. The Rams are also 3-9 right now and are out of the playoff picture, so it makes sense for them to play Mayfield so he can try and up his value heading into the offseason.
So far this season, Mayfield has played in seven games and is only completing 57.8% of his passes for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions.
It remains to be seen when he makes his Rams’ debut considering that they play on Thursday against the Las Vegas Raiders. A safer bet would be on Dec. 19 when the Rams take on the Green Bay Packers.