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Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Rams

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Pushing the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles to the limit in the divisional round, the Rams entered the offseason in the same place they usually do — as a clear championship contender. The team needed to solve a quarterback dilemma before reloading its arsenal for a potential Super Bowl LX run, and considerable fallout emerged from the latest Matthew Stafford contract-driven saga.

While the Rams swapped out star wide receivers and made their biggest running back commitment since Todd Gurley, Stafford’s status overshadowed everything else about Los Angeles’ offseason. The team’s draft strategy opens a door to a potential succession plan, but for now, it is still Stafford-or-bust in L.A.

Extensions and restructures:

After the Rams solved their lingering 2024 Stafford issue with an incentive package and a minor guarantee bump for 2025, they received word the Super Bowl-winning passer would play a 17th NFL season. By late January, however, Stafford trade rumors began to emerge. As the Combine neared, the Rams gave Stafford — whom they acquired in a January 2021 blockbuster trade — permission to explore another relocation. That set off one of the stranger storylines involving a high-profile QB in recent memory. A host of rumors emerged about Stafford’s future, all while the Rams would have been staring at a significant downgrade at the game’s premier position if they went through with a swap.

Playing on a Lions-designed deal ($27MM per year) during the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning season, Stafford signed a four-year, $160MM extension. At the time, Stafford left money on the table to help the Rams remain a contender. The team then rewarded Super Bowl heroes Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp later in 2022. Stafford, however, regretted this decision and pushed for better terms in 2024 and ’25.

The Rams gave him a $5MM 2024 raise by moving money up from future years and then added a $4MM 2025 roster bonus. Stafford submitted a second straight strong season — after 2023 trade rumors swirled following an injury-plagued 2022 — and found teams willing to pay up, increasing urgency on the Rams’ end.

Several teams, including the Steelers, contacted the Rams on Stafford. While Pittsburgh preferred Stafford to Aaron Rodgers, two teams emerged as the true Stafford suitors. The Giants and Raiders worked out contract parameters, with each team ready to authorize guarantee packages in the $90-$100MM range. As he did in the Raiders’ Ben Johnson pursuit, Tom Brady played a lead role and spoke with Stafford at a Montana ski resort. The Giants were linked to a potential $55MM-per-year offer, after a Stafford request of at least $50MM AAV had emerged.

The Rams sought a first-round pick, but neither of the primary suitors was willing to deal a top-six selection — as both held such draft real estate. L.A. was not willing to meet Stafford’s $50MM-AAV ask, but the team had infrastructure advantages on both suitors. Coming off last-place divisional finishes, neither the Giants nor Raiders profile as a 2025 contender. With Stafford now 37, it would have been more of a pure financial play to bail on the Rams for one of those situations.

With Stafford lacking a no-trade clause, the Rams also held the hammer here. Sean McVay represented a draw as well, and the ninth-year Rams HC remained in contact with Stafford throughout the process. In the end, a predictable conclusion emerged. Stafford did not take a late-career risk of joining teams much farther away from the Super Bowl-contending level, and the Rams fully guaranteed his 2025 salary while dangling a guarantee carrot for 2026. Though, Stafford remaining on the roster by that March 2026 vesting date suddenly looks hazier.

If Stafford remains a Ram by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, $40MM of his 2026 compensation fully guarantees. That effectively becomes a sell-by date for the Rams, whose first-round trade may change their long-term outlook at the position. Even though Stafford has secured $26MM more from the Rams than this contract initially called for, turning down better security — even though the full guarantee numbers from the Giants and Raiders never surfaced — injects some risk due to the QB’s ongoing injury trouble. But Stafford is running it back with a team he has piloted to three playoff appearances.

It would cost the Rams $41.87MM to drop Stafford before that guarantee vests, and while the latest rework did increase the punishment on the franchise were it to move on before that mid-March date, the dead money could be split over two years via a post-June 1 cut. It remains to be seen if Stafford would have realistic trade value next year, when he intends to keep playing. His latest injury battle has created short- and long-term questions.

A back injury cropped up early in training camp, keeping Stafford off the field for multiple weeks. This included missing two joint practices. A report of a disk issue soon surfaced, as Stafford received an epidural injection, and the Rams continued to push back their fifth-year QB’s return date.

As of Monday, Stafford has returned to work. But he has played through countless injuries over his career. Now in his late 30s, the one-time (non-alternate) Pro Bowler will need to be constantly monitored on the health front. The Rams’ fortunes ride on their star passer staying healthy, but without an alternative they were overly interested in (more on that below), a decision to regroup with Stafford won the day. Was it the right play?

A less complicated negotiation unfolded with Williams, who came up as an extension candidate in the spring. It took a few months, but the sides reached an agreement. The former fifth-round pick, who had pushed Cam Akers to the periphery in L.A.’s vision, became the first running back the team has committed to contractually since Todd Gurley‘s 2018 payday. The team came to regret the Gurley contract — which reset the market seven years ago — and even as the cap has exploded since, the Williams deal comes in well south of Gurley’s.

With the cap at $177.2MM in 2018 (compared to $279.2MM today), the Rams gave Gurley a four-year, $57.5MM extension that came with $21.95MM at signing. Williams has not proven to be in that class, but the Notre Dame alum has been a quality starter. Williams, 25 next week, led the NFL with 95.3 rushing yards per game in 2023 and delivered a career-high 1,299 on the ground last season. The Rams had not seen enough from Akers or Darrell Henderson to pay them between their 2020 Gurley cut and Williams’ extension eligibility, but they have reinvested in the position on a more careful contract. The team was unwilling to go toward a top-market deal here.

Les Snead approved a $15.15MM at-signing guarantee, but Williams’ camp secured additional guarantees by early 2026. Already guaranteeing $2.75MM of Williams’ $5MM 2026 base salary, the Rams will guarantee the rest on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. On Day 5, $4.61MM of Williams’ $8.95MM 2027 base salary will lock in. Barring an injury that would impede a passed physical come March, the Rams could move on for $12.58MM in dead money next year.

This contract’s fine print reveals a bit more caution on the team’s part, but if it were to consider moving on, a move would need to be made soon after free agency starts. While Williams’ camp did well to secure a rolling guarantee structure, it does not fully protect the RB from a quick release — as a post-June 1 cut would minimize the damage for the Rams, who cut Gurley less than two years after his extension.

Free agency additions:

Adams grew to loathe his first post-high school experience of catching passes from quarterbacks not named Derek Carr or Aaron Rodgers, but the California native became intrigued by a move back west after his Jets stop. The Rams convinced the decorated wide receiver to replace Cooper Kupp alongside Puka Nacua. Adams is a year older than Kupp but has been far more durable, and the Rams will at least try him out — for a hefty sum — for a season.

Although the Jets could not crawl out of their early hole upon acquiring Adams from the Raiders, the wide receiver put up impressive numbers during the 5-12 slate. Not missing any games as a Jet (after what looked like an injury exaggeration in his final Las Vegas days), Adams posted 854 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 New York games. His presence looked to have alienated Garrett Wilson, but it showed some positive Rodgers work. In 14 games last season, Adams cobbled together his sixth 1,000-yard season. Firmly on the Hall of Fame radar, Adams will attempt to contribute to a Super Bowl contender’s cause after his post-Green Bay years did not remotely involve playoff chances.

The Rams, who could not count on Kupp for the most part since a string of injuries that began midway through the 2022 season, added a receiver who has not missed more than two games in a season due to a legitimate injury since 2019. If Adams shows clear decline signs, the Rams have an early out. Adams, 32, is due a $6MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. The Rams can move on via a $14MM dead money charge if they opt to cut bait before the bonus is due.

It is interesting Adams joined a team that could feature some Jimmy Garoppolo starts, seeing as the receiver criticized the then-Raiders starter — effectively getting Garoppolo benched midway through the 2023 season — as the wheels fell off for Josh McDaniels in Vegas. Garoppolo had not re-signed with the Rams when Adams committed, but the team re-upped its backup QB a day after it signed Adams.

Naturally, the Rams were also connected to Rodgers. In what would have been a third Rodgers-Adams partnership, the Rams discussed the aging great as a contingency plan in case they followed through with a Stafford trade. Rodgers, who lives in California during the offseason, was open to taking a discount to play for McVay. Stafford staying forced the four-time MVP to look elsewhere, and he ended up in Pittsburgh (on a one-year, $14.15MM deal) just before minicamp.

Shelton’s 2024 exit stung the Rams a bit more than expected. Even though the team’s two-year center starter commanded just $3MM from the Bears, the Rams cycled through a few centers last year. The sides regrouped in March, and Shelton received a significant raise. He will see half of his 2026 base salary guaranteed at signing, pointing to a true two-year commitment.

Between training camp and the divisional round, the Rams tried Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson and Beaux Limmer at center. Limmer will return to a backup role, while Avila is at his more natural guard spot — where he resettled last year after the Rams regretted their Jackson signing. Shelton, 30, is back with the team he spent five seasons with from 2019-23.

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Ford revived his career in L.A., starting for a No. 1-ranked Chargers defense after languishing as a seldom-used Bills backup in 2023. The Bolts gave Ford 17 starts, restoring his value after he had been a four-year Seahawks starter. On the strength of his run defense, Ford drew a fifth-place grade (among interior D-linemen) from Pro Football Focus last season. He also batted down five passes as a Charger. The former UDFA will replace Bobby Brown. Ford, 29, commanded more than Brown on the market despite being more than four years older.

Re-signings:

Jackson gave the Rams a vital answer after they misevaluated Joe Noteboom. A former UDFA, Jackson beat out the would-be Andrew Whitworth successor and kept the left tackle job for the past two seasons. Given a second-round RFA tender last year, the Iowa alum had been on track to become one of this free agency class’ top players. But the Rams put a strong offer — as they did with Kevin Dotson last year — to keep him off the market.

At nearly $20MM per year, Jackson is the Rams’ highest-paid O-lineman. Managing to move Jonah Jackson‘s salary off the books helped free up room to squeeze both Alaric Jackson and Davante Adams into their free agency budget. PFF viewed 2024 as Alaric Jackson’s best season, giving him a top-20 grade. The Rams and Ravens diluted the tackle market, much to Dan Moore Jr.‘s delight, by paying Jackson and Ronnie Stanley early.

The Rams, however, have run into a notable obstacle early in Jackson’s second contract. Additionally, if the LT is on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will see a $5.43MM injury guarantee shift to a full guarantee.

A blood clot issue has sidelined Jackson since June. Although the would-be starting left tackle has been partially participating in Rams workouts, he has not recovered yet. This opens the door to a major issue up front. The Rams have a rather injury-prone quarterback — who has battled another issue for weeks now — set to play an age-37 season, and they have Jackson on an uncertain timetable and 11th-year right tackle Rob Havenstein coming off shoulder surgery. Havenstein, the Rams’ longest-tenured player, missed six games last season. While Havenstein is back at work, the Rams could see a major drop-off in LT quality.

As it stands, D.J. Humphries is tracking toward being the team’s Week 1 fill-in there. While Humphries was a Cardinals mainstay there for the better part of a decade, he dealt with steady injury problems and did not look good during his most recent game action.

Humphries, 31, signed with the Chiefs after not being cleared (from a December 2023 ACL tear) until midseason. Thrown into the fire immediately, the former first-round pick suffered a hamstring injury in his first Kansas City appearance and never earned a starting spot back. The Chiefs kept Humphries on the bench after he recovered, but the Rams may be forced to use him while Jackson recovers.

A competition between Humphries and third-year blocker Warren McClendon looks to have gone the veteran’s way. Humphries has 100 career starts, but he also missed 33 games from 2016-23 due to injury. But both the Rams and 49ers pursued him; the 11th-year veteran’s San Francisco agreement not coming to pass led him to L.A., where a starting job may well await.

Stafford has played through most of the injuries sustained during his career, but a back ailment did sideline him for eight contests in 2019. The prospect of Humphries blocking for Garoppolo should certainly be on the radar for Rams fans/various fantasy GMs. Garoppolo, 33, has missed 32 games with the 49ers from 2018-22 and two more during his half-season stint as the Raiders’ starter. While the Rams have placed him on the reformed starter track they slotted Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz on, Garoppolo carries tremendous risk. The prospect of Stetson Bennett seeing time is not beyond the realm of possibility.

That said, Garoppolo excelled in Kyle Shanahan‘s system — one in the same family as McVay’s — and piloted the 49ers to two NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. The Raiders did not remind of the cozy setup Garoppolo enjoyed in San Francisco; this Rams setup — assuming Jackson is healthy — would. But a Stafford-Garoppolo depth chart in 2025 represents a dicey proposition.

Letting Demarcus Robinson walk (to the 49ers), the Rams will elevate Atwell — at long last. Not justifying the second-round pick spent on him, the diminutive wideout has delivered moments. But his usage rate slowed after Kupp and Nacua returned to action midway through last season. Atwell totaled 1,045 receiving yards over the past two years. With Robinson gone and a $10MM guarantee, the Rams will expect the 165-pound (perhaps a generous listing) cog to be a more consistent producer this season.

Cornerback remains a position to monitor regarding a Rams addition. As it stands, two 30-somethings — Witherspoon and Darious Williams, who is 32 — are set to be regulars. Witherspoon started five of the 13 games he played last season, logging a 58% snap rate — down from 94% in 2023. The Rams have given ex-Commanders first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes a full offseason, and Cobie Durant (14 2024 starts) is a roster lock. Williams could represent veteran insurance here, as Forbes fell out of favor quickly in Washington. Considering the Jalen Ramsey connections that emerged, a late-summer trade for another corner would not be out of character.

Notable losses:

The list of greatest wide receiver seasons includes Kupp’s 2021 near the top. Kupp’s fifth NFL campaign sits second in single-season yardage (behind Calvin Johnson‘s 2012) and second in playoff yardage (behind Larry Fitzgerald‘s 2008). The Rams rewarded the Super Bowl LVI MVP with a three-year, $80MM extension, despite two seasons remaining on his 2020 re-up (three years, $47.25MM), but never saw the slot staple approach his otherworldly 2021 again. Injuries forced Kupp, who also has a 2018 ACL tear in his medical history, to miss 16 games since his Super Bowl showing.

Los Angeles attempted to trade Kupp for weeks, with the eight-year veteran announcing in early February he was no longer in the team’s plans, but is not believed to have asked him to stay via a pay cut. The Rams were willing to eat some money in a trade, but they ended up cutting bait.

Kupp, 32, was due a $7.5MM roster bonus; that influenced the Rams, who have reloaded around Davante Adams. By not designating Kupp as a post-June 1 cut, the Rams will take on $22.26MM in dead money this year. Kupp drew extensive interest and will face the Rams, health-permitting, twice this season as a Seahawk.

Brown stepped into the Rams’ starting lineup following the free agency exits of Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson. Sneaking into PFR’s top 50 (at No. 48), Brown will bring his run-defending skills to Charlotte. Despite Brown only commanding a three-year, $21MM deal that came with only $6.8MM at signing, the Rams moved on via Poona Ford. Brown started 29 games over the past two seasons, grading as a top-30 run defender among interior D-linemen (per PFF). The Rams clearly believe Ford has a higher ceiling based on what he showed in 2024.

The Rams scaled back Hoecht’s workload last season, dropping him from an 85% snap rate in 2023 to 57% in ’24. Hoecht landed the same terms as Brown (3/21) but scored a $12.43MM Bills guarantee at signing. Hitting on edge rushers in back-to-back drafts (Byron Young, Jared Verse), the Rams are well situated here.

Rozeboom joins Brown, as Ejiro Evero continues to add ex-Ram charges to his Panthers defense. Rozeboom made 11 starts last season and logged a career-high 828 snaps. The Rams have Nathan Landman in position to join ex-UDFA Omar Speights as ILB regulars, as the team continues bottom-barrel investments at this position.

Draft:

While teams were leery of the Rams drafting a quarterback, the NFC West club again opted to table its need for a Matthew Stafford heir apparent. The Rams were reported to be in on Jaxson Dart, but post-draft reporting disputed that interest. (Then again, Dart said he spent considerable time with Rams brass during the draft runup.) This was not viewed as a good quarterback class, beyond Cam Ward, but the Rams added an asset that would help them invest in what is viewed as a much better crop come 2026.

Discussing terms with the Giants, the Rams ended up watching the Texans trade down (from No. 25) to allow Big Blue to draft Dart. A Falcons edge-rushing issue that dates back pretty much to John Abraham‘s 2013 free agency departure then allowed the Rams to pick up a prime future asset. Atlanta sent Los Angeles a 2026 first-rounder to move up 20 spots for James Pearce Jr. Although the Rams showed interest in moving up for a skill-position player, the Falcons’ offer presented an interesting opportunity.

Even if Arch Manning does not declare for next year’s draft, the prospect pool is viewed as far deeper than 2025’s. The Rams have used two first-round picks on QBs this century (Sam Bradford, Jared Goff) and traded both of them, building around Stafford with the latter move. That proved wise, but with the rocket-armed passer 37 and potentially breaking down, pressure will be high for the Rams to come up with a young solution next year. This Atlanta pick will provide a considerable boost to such a path forming.

Before trading out of No. 26, the Rams — who aggressively pursued Brock Bowers last year — were connected to Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and this draft’s top two tight ends (Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren). L.A. sent Carolina an offer for No. 8, and the Panthers viewed the proposal as a McMillan-based play. No deal commenced, and the Panthers chose McMillan. The Rams circled back to the skill positions in Round 2, choosing Ferguson ahead of soon-to-be Seahawk Elijah Arroyo.

Playing with Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel at Oregon, Ferguson split time between in-line and slot roles with the Ducks. He upped his per-catch average from 9.9 in 2023 to 13.7 last season, totaling a career-best 591 yards as a senior.

The 6-foot-5 weapon will be positioned to learn from 10th-year Ram Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson, but given the draft status, the team will expect an early role. While Higbee is healthier than he was at this time last year, he will be 33 before season’s end. Parkinson’s Rams debut also ended short of 300 yards. Although Ferguson is a big step down on the TE prospect totem pole compared to Bowers, Loveland and Warren, the Rams will attempt to mold him as a Higbee successor.

The Rams have done well to stock their front seven in recent years, hitting on Verse, Young, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. They went to that well again with Stewart. One of the most productive sack artists in recent draft history, Stewart posted 30 from 2021-24. A move up the ladder from Coastal Carolina to Michigan probably limited his production, after a 12.5-sack, 16-TFL freshman season. But he contributed 8.5 sacks and 13 TFLs for the Wolverines last season.

Stewart also has the luxury of serving as, at best, a third edge rusher behind Young and Verse during his first two seasons. The team has hit on many Day 2 and Day 3 defenders during Les Snead‘s GM run, making Stewart’s growth something to monitor.

Trades:

One of the bigger free agency busts in recent years, Jackson spent much of his Rams season on the bench. The Rams gave Jackson a three-year, $51MM deal ($25.5MM guaranteed) to pry him from Detroit, plugging the four-year Lions starting guard into their left guard position. This relocated 2023 LG Steve Avila to center. Just before last season, however, Jackson moved to center to send Avila back to guard.

Neither plan worked. The Rams lost Jackson early in the season and did not deem him good enough to redeploy him as a starter for long upon return. Jackson played behind Day 3 rookie Beaux Limmer for much of last season, preceding the team allowing Jackson’s camp to seek a trade.

Fortunately for the Rams, the Bears did not require the NFC West team to eat any of Jackson’s 2025 salary. Jackson reunited with ex-Lions OC Ben Johnson and has since agreed to an extension (three years, $44.5MM). Signing bonus proration covered the dead money here, leaving only an $8.5MM sum post-trade. Essentially, the Rams and Bears swapped starters up front (Jackson for Coleman Shelton).

Other:

Ramsey would have added a third 30-something corner on the Rams’ roster, though McVay spoke highly of his former charge to the point a reunion looked like a real possibility. A Ramsey West Coast preference emerged, giving a Rams return more steam.

Ramsey, 30, spent three-plus seasons in L.A. and helped the team win a Super Bowl. The Dolphins, though, gave him a three-year, $72.3MM extension before last season. That complicated this year’s trade derby. Miami ended up doing well on a trade, convincing Pittsburgh (with Jonnu Smith thrown in as a sweetener) to take on $19MM of Ramsey’s 2025 compensation and give up Minkah Fitzpatrick. It seems unlikely the Rams made a comparable offer.

Part of the Rams’ front office when they acquired and then traded Ramsey, Gladstone spent much of his time with the team as its director of scouting strategy. After the finds the Rams made outside Round 1, Gladstone will follow Brad Holmes as a Rams scouting-side exec to a GM post. Gladstone joins ex-Rams OC Liam Coen in Jacksonville, though the latter is believed to be atop the Jaguars’ personnel pyramid. McVay’s coaching tree receives more attention, but Snead’s GM tree expanded this offseason.

Speaking of McVay’s tree, Caley is the latest Rams assistant to move into a coordinator role. Hired from the Patriots in 2023, Caley coached the Rams’ tight ends. He had turned down the Patriots’ OC job in 2024 and passed on Jets 2025 interest; the ex-McVay and Bill Belichick assistant will now work with C.J. Stroud in Houston. Caley, 42, had also been the Rams’ pass-game coordinator.

Scheelhaase is now in that role, having backed out of the Jaguars’ OC search. The staffer that ended up taking the Pats’ 2024 OC job, Van Pelt, joins Lake — a 2023 Rams staffer whom Raheem Morris fired after one season as Falcons DC — as notable names joining McVay’s staff.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

  1. Matthew Stafford, QB: $47.47MM
  2. Kevin Dotson, G: $17.92MM
  3. Davante Adams, WR: $12MM
  4. Rob Havenstein, RT: $11.37MM
  5. Tutu Atwell, WR: $10MM
  6. Colby Parkinson, TE: $9.83MM
  7. Darious Williams, CB: $9.17MM
  8. Tyler Higbee, TE: $8.78MM
  9. Alaric Jackson, LT: $7MM
  10. Poona Ford, DL: $5.08MM

McVay said in April he viewed Stafford as a candidate to play a few more seasons. It would seem unlikely the ninth-year Rams HC would say as much now. The team may need Garoppolo more than it did last season, but its Super Bowl hopes will certainly hinge on keeping Stafford available. Available may be the team’s best bet here; a healthy Stafford might not be a real option for the 2025 Rams.

If Stafford can stay in the lineup, the Rams have equipped him with an improved skill-position corps. With the Verse-Turner-Fiske-Young quartet a year more experienced, the Rams should roll out a formidable pass rush as well. With questions surrounding the 49ers’ roster and (again) skill-position health, the Rams have a clear playoff route in front of them. Can their aging QB make it to the finish line?