We already know that Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, will not be the Los Angeles Rams' starting quarterback to open the season, making him the first top pick at quarterback to not start the first game of his rookie season since JaMarcus Russell. We also know that not only will Goff not be the starter, but he's also not the primary backup, having been beaten out by Sean Mannion for that job.
On Tuesday, Rams coach Jeff Fisher stated that Goff will likely be inactive for the Rams' season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
"Jared's had a great camp, so has Sean. Case (Keenum) is clearly our starter. I think Week 1 just to settle things down ... it's probably going to be, like I mentioned last week, it's probably going to be three and inactive," Fisher said of Goff's status, per NFL.com.
"That's just how it goes. And then next week we'll flip them. I just want him to feel and sense and absorb the pressures of Week 1. He's going to be a great player. As we've said from Day 1, we're not rushing him. We don't have to rush it. I'm really happy with where he is right now. It's unfair to compare him to anybody else. I know Philly has got their situation, it's a little different and trading Sam (Bradford) so Carson (Wentz) is going to start, but you know Jared is in a good place right now. He's done some really good things, so I'm really pleased with his progress."
It's quite the ignominious distinction for Goff, being deactivated for his first NFL week, but the Rams do maintain that they've got a lot of faith in him and are happy with his progress. The particular wisdom of deactivating him for just a week and then making him the No. 2 QB after that is somewhat lost on me, but given the abilities of the two quarterbacks ahead of him, it still seems like he'll be the starter in Los Angeles sooner rather than later anyway.
