Jared Goff cleared to return for Rams vs. 49ers

Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff has been cleared from the league’s concussion protocol and will start Saturday’s game against the 49ers.

The former No. 1 overall pick was injured after getting crushed by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman late in last week’s loss.

Goff left the game in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Case Keenum, who started the majority of Los Angeles’ games this fall. While the journeyman passer was interim head coach John Fassel’s pick last week, we may see a new face behind center for the Rams if Goff gets injured. Fassel confirmed that Sean Mannion would be the new backup this week.

Mannion was a third-round pick in 2015 out of Oregon State University. He’s only made one appearance in a regular season game as a pro, but was decent in relief of Nick Foles last fall. He earned mop-up duty in a 31-7 loss to the Bengals and completed six of his seven passes, but for just 31 yards.

Goff is still looking for his first win as a starter after sitting and earning only practice reps through Los Angeles’ 4-5 start. The Rams are 0-5 with him at quarterback, and that spiral led the team to fire longtime failure Jeff Fisher after Week 14. He won’t get a better chance at earning a win in 2016 than Sunday; San Francisco has lost 13 straight games since beating Los Angeles in Week 1.

The only stakes in this Week 16 showdown are draft position, but the experience should give Fassel and the Rams’ front office a chance to evaluate the talent on their depth chart. Goff has the most raw talent of anyone on the roster, but the only way he can cultivate that into NFL wins is through game experience.