John Wolford to Start for Rams vs. Seahawks; Jared Goff Active with Thumb Injury

Quarterback Jared Goff will not get the start for the Los Angeles Rams in their NFC Wild Card Round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told Jay Glazer of NFL on Fox that John Wolford will start for the second consecutive week, and Goff will serve as the backup.

The 26-year-old Goff suffered a broken right thumb in his team's Week 16 game, requiring surgery on Dec. 28. He couldn't play in Week 17 to decide the Rams' playoff fate, but Wolford did enough to help his team beat the Arizona Cardinals 18-7.

Los Angeles has a tougher task ahead against Seattle, which went 12-4 with six wins in the final seven games. The NFC West rival is even more dangerous at home with a 7-1 record at Lumen Field.

Goff, a two-time Pro Bowler, threw for over 4,600 passing yards in both 2018 and 2019, leading the Rams to the Super Bowl after the 2018 campaign. His numbers dropped in 2020, as he finished with 3,952 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 15 games, although he improved his accuracy with a career-high 67.0 completion percentage.

In addition, he topped 300 passing yards in key wins over the Seahawks, Cardinals and Buccaneers during the regular season.

The Rams can also win without much quarterback production thanks to a defense that finished No. 1 in the NFL in both points allowed and yards allowed. Offensive playmakers Cam Akers, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods are also key regardless of who is under center.