Rams to start QB Carson Wentz in regular-season finale with playoff berth secured

Carson Wentz is back in the starting saddle for the season finale.

The Rams will start Wentz on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday, per sources informed of the situation.

The move will give Matthew Stafford some respite before the Rams, who clinched a wild-card berth in Week 17, begin their postseason march.

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The Rams signed Wentz in November after releasing then-backup Brett Rypien following a disappointing start in a loss in Green Bay.

Wentz, the former No. 2 overall pick by Philadelphia in 2016, will make a start for a fourth different club in the past four years. The signal-caller started seven games in 2022 for the Washington Commanders, going 2-5 while completing 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,755 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Wentz’s last start came on Jan. 1, 2023, in a Week 17 loss to Cleveland, which eliminated the Commanders from postseason play.

More than a year later, Wentz will get another chance to start, hoping to flash a bit under Sean McVay, which might help lead to another gig in 2024.

The Niners are locked into the No. 1 seed ahead of Sunday’s bout. L.A. could clinch the No. 6 seed with a win or fall to the No. 7 seed with a loss and a Green Bay win. While not meaningless, the playoff seeding isn’t enough to keep McVay from giving Stafford a week off while he test drives the Wentz vehicle.