John Wolford has become a relatively prominent name among avid Los Angeles Rams fans, as the former Wake Forest Demon Deacon has spent a good portion of his NFL career serving as a backup quarterback for head coach Sean McVay. How did Wolford make it with the Rams, and where else has he played in his football career?
Teams John Wolford Has Played For
Wolford went undrafted out of Wake Forest and spent the 2018 offseason with the New York Jets. He then played for the Arizona Hotshots of the short-lived Alliance of American Football (AAF) before being brought on by McVay to play for the Rams.
- New York Jets (2018) offseason only
- Arizona Hotshots (2019)
- Los Angeles Rams (2019 – present)
Wolford’s Start in the NFL
Wolford was a relative unknown coming out of college despite appearing in 47 games over his collegiate career at Wake Forest. He didn’t participate in the NFL combine, and his lack of elite athleticism and pedestrian collegiate production left him overlooked by most teams.
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The New York Jets gave Wolford a shot by signing him following the 2018 NFL Draft, but he didn’t last with Gang Green. He appeared in one preseason game, completing eight of 20 passes for 89 yards and an interception. The Jets cut Wolford prior to the 2018 regular season, and for many QBs in his position, that would’ve spelled the end of his professional football career.
The AAF Comes Calling
The Alliance of American Football gave Wolford another shot to continue his playing career when he was selected in the second round of the league’s quarterback draft by the Hotshots. He won the starting job over first-round pick Trevor Knight before the start of the regular season.
Wolford would go on to have a successful single season in Arizona, compiling a 5-2 record as a starter and ranking second in the league in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns.
Another NFL Opportunity
Wolford’s impressive play in the AAF re-ignited the interest of NFL teams. He signed with the Rams in April of 2019 and spent the regular season with the team’s practice squad. His first call to regular season action came in Week 17 of the 2020 season when Wolford was named the starter in light of an injury to then-first-string QB Jared Goff.
Despite throwing an interception on his very first career pass, Wolford led the Rams to an 18-7 victory over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals, going 22-38 passing for 231 yards and an additional 56 yards on the ground.
His victory over the Cardinals helped lift the Rams to the playoffs. Though he started the team’s first playoff game, he was forced from action in the first quarter due to a neck injury.
Wolford spent the 2021 season backing up starting QB Matthew Stafford, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade that saw Jared Goff shipped to the Detroit Lions along with significant draft capital in exchange for the veteran Stafford.
Wolford won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams, as the team took down the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI with Wolford as the backup QB.
Wolford beat out fellow reserve passer Bryce Perkins for the second-string job to enter the 2022 NFL season.