So now is it time for Jared Goff?
That is a question that pundits and fans around the N.F.L. have been asking for weeks, with growing volume and intensity.
In April, the Los Angeles Rams traded a package of prime picks to the Tennessee Titans to get the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s draft, which they used to take Goff, a star at the University of California.
To clear the decks, the Rams released their primary starting quarterback from last season, Nick Foles.
It seemed that the franchise, which has not made the playoffs since the 2004 season while playing in St. Louis, was ready for a fresh start with a talented young passer at the helm.
Goff was not especially impressive in the preseason, completing 22 of 49 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. But that was the preseason, and the Rams had traded away a chunk of their future to land him. Surely they would roll him out for the opener.