With his team searching for "an offensive spark," Rams coach Jeff Fisher is making a change at quarterback.
Fisher said Monday that Case Keenum will replace Nick Foles as the starter next Sunday when the Rams play the Ravens in Baltimore.
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Despite Foles' struggles this season, the move comes as a surprise after the Rams acquired him from the Eagles in exchange for Sam Bradford in March. Foles has been a huge disappointment with 1,678 passing yards, only seven touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts.
On Sunday, he completed 17 of 36 passes for 200 yards and an interception in a 37-13 loss to the Bears that dropped the Rams to 4-5. Since a 297-yard outing in a season-opening win over the Seahawks, Foles hasn't thrown for more than 200 yards in a game since. He completed just 11 of 30 attempts in a 24-10 loss to the Packers on Oct. 11.
Foles had his best NFL season in 2013, throwing for 2,891 yards with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions for the Eagles. The fourth-year pro from Arizona regressed last year with 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight starts. He suffered a shoulder injury before breaking a collarbone during a win over the Texans last November.
The Rams gave Foles a two-year contract extension in August with $14 million guaranteed.
Keenum was undrafted out of Houston 2012 despite a trio of 5,000-yard seasons for the Cougars. Staying in Houston, he spent the 2012 season on the Texans' practice squad before getting promoted to the active roster in 2013, when he started eight games. The Texans lost all eight of his starts in 2013; he threw for 1,760 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.
Keenum split the 2014 season between Houston and St. Louis. The Texans waived him to clear a roster space for quarterback Ryan Mallett. The Rams claimed him and eventually signed him to their practice squad. The Texans re-signed him last December and he started the team's final two games of the season — wins over the Ravens and Jaguars.
The Rams traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Texans a day after the Foles trade to bring Keenum back to St. Louis, but Keenum has yet to throw a pass this season. In 11 career games (10 starts), Keenum has 2,195 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 55.2 completion percentage.
The Rams also have rookie quarterback Sean Mannion on their roster. St. Louis drafted him out of Oregon State in the third round.