When the Rams last played in Los Angeles more than two decades ago, their fans had developed a strong affinity for one particular player on the team: whoever was listed at backup quarterback.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Rams ran through a string of unpopular starters.
Loyalists amused themselves by chanting during games for the No 2 guy.
As bad luck would have it, the Rams’ return from St Louis to Los Angeles will feel familiar.
They bring with them an unsettled quarterback situation.
Nick Foles and Case Keenum are the two less-than-ideal choices at the moment.
The Rams aren’t alone.
As many as seven teams may have the one problem an NFL team does not want to have – a big, fat question mark at quarterback.
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Not coincidentally, there also are some high-profile QB names in transition, or expected to compete for their old starting jobs, creating fluidity at the position for an unusually high number of teams.
Besides the Rams, among those in quarterback limbo are the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Texans, the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets.
Even the Denver Broncos, the Super Bowl champions, are twiddling their thumbs waiting for Peyton Manning to make up his mind about retirement.
And in New Orleans, the Saints look to restructure the contract of 37-year-old Drew Brees, trying to avoid a US$30 million (Dh110.2m) salary cap hit. If they can’t work it out, maybe Brees plays in a different uniform next year, too.
One famous name already being ticketed for a fresh start is Robert Griffin III.
The No 2 overall draft pick in 2012, he was a rookie sensation for the Washington Redskins.
By last autumn, injuries and declining performances put him on the bench behind previously unheralded Kirk Cousins.
Where RG3 ends up is anyone’s (make that everyone’s) guess.
Teams with massive holes at QB such as the Texans and Browns might be willing to take a chance on him as a starter.
But more likely he will turn up as a prized backup.
Most often mentioned landing spots are the Dallas Cowboys behind Tony Romo, the Seattle Seahawks behind Russell Wilson or the Kansas City Chiefs behind Alex Smith.
One well-known quarterback who likely won’t be anywhere next season is Johnny Manziel, who has worn out his welcome in Cleveland.
Johnny Football’s off-field, horror show of a private life has rendered him useless as an NFL player. For poor Cleveland, that means it’s back to the QB drawing board.
Or the draft board.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles hope to re-sign their free agent, Sam Bradford.
Even if the Eagles do keep him, the oft-injured and inconsistent Bradford qualifies as a perennial problem.
The 49ers can’t believe quarterback is an issue with them. Colin Kaepernick was so good in 2012, leading the team to the Super Bowl, that they turned Alex Smith loose.
In 2014, Kaepernick signed a six-year, $126m contract.
By 2015, he regressed so much he lost his job to Blaine Gabbert. Now it’s a competition, and neither one reminds anyone of Joe Montana.
In New York, the Jets would like to thank veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for almost getting them to the play-offs.
Now they want to find a guy who completes the job.
Houston’s quarterback carousel still goes round-and-round, with fans hoping current non-answer Brian Hoyer loses the job as quickly as possible to whichever collegian the Texans draft in April.
Back in LA, some want Manning to end up in a Rams uniform. Fans still will learn the backup’s name, just in case.
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