Bryce Perkins is the Rams’ third-string quarterback and will have to play well in the preseason just to get a roster spot, but on Saturday night he played the entire game and opened some eyes with his playmaking ability.
Perkins completed 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and he also ran the ball eight times for 39 yards and a touchdown. On one third-and-5, he made a spectacular play, avoiding four different Chargers who had a chance to sack him before running for a first down.
Both Rams coach Sean McVay and Chargers coach Brandon Staley were impressed.
“I was really pleased with Bryce Perkins, his ability to be able to make plays off schedule, be able to get in and out of the huddle,” McVay said. “How the heck did he get out of a couple of those? He’s a playmaker. Being able to allow guys to play within their skillset when things do break down, that’s an elite trait that he has – an ability to be able to break tackles.”
Perkins has never played in the regular season but has been with the Rams since 2020, when Staley was their defensive coordinator. Staley said he has always thought highly of Perkins’ skill set, and thought Perkins gave the Chargers’ defense a great look at what they need to do better.
“It’s a great prep for every part of the season because that’s life in the NFL in 2022,” Staley said. “The best people you face are going to be like that. Bryce, I was with Bryce, he’s a heck of a competitor. We had him a couple of times, and our guys are going to learn that if you make those plays, that really affects how this game went. There were some big moments there where I think this game could have gone much differently, had we finished a couple of plays. But, you also have to give credit to Bryce because he’s an outstanding player.”
Perkins isn’t going to get on the field as long as Matthew Stafford is available, but the Rams have a young backup quarterback worth keeping an eye on.