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[Los Angeles Rams]

Rams playoff hopes hinge on this trend regarding offensive line health

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rams must have their starting 5 on the field as much as possible

The Los Angeles Rams have made the playoffs in 6 of 8 seasons under Sean McVay. By no small coincidence, the Rams journey to the playoffs in those six seasons have been because of good fortune with the health of their offensive linemen. Voice of the LA Rams, JB Long, shared a brief breakdown about the Rams success hinging on continuity with the offensive line.

Quick little study that no one asked for on McVay Era continuity along the Rams offensive line and how it correlates with success.

The slash line = starts by most common LT/LG/C/RG/RT combination (not necessarily the W1 starters)

(-X) = collective games below 100% continuity pic.twitter.com/umyGZSbnih

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) August 1, 2025​

Based on JB’s findings, the Rams have actually been fortunate to avoid significant injuries / combination inconsistency with their offensive linemen with the exception of 2019 and 2022. When the Rams have had their most common OL combination together for 70+ % of the games, they have made the playoffs every year.

2017 and 2018 were truly special to have none of their starters miss any games not related to rest purposes.

2019 was the first time that McVay had to deal with some adversity along the offensive front. Rob Havenstein injured his knee (meniscus) in Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He missed the rest of the season. Brian Allen was the starting center that year and he too injured his knee against the Steelers; ending his season. Joe Noteboom was actually the starting left guard for the Rams but he tore his ACL and MCL against the San Francisco 49ers early in the year.

The Rams were relatively healthy in 2020 other than Andrew Whitworth tearing his MCL against the Seattle Seahawks. He missed the rest of the regular season but returned in the wild card round to face Seattle again.

In 2021, during the Rams Super Bowl season, the Rams saw their combination of Whitworth-Edwards-Allen-Corbett-Havenstein play together in 94% of the games. Memory serves that the COVID played a factor for a few players missing time.

2022 was the never-ending nightmare for LA and Sean McVay. Joe Noteboom tore his achilles in Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers. Starting left guard David Edwards missed nine starts because of a concussion. Thumb and knee injuries limited Brian Allen to five games. Coleman Shelton (the original starting right guard) actually started 13 games as the team’s center. Alaric Jackson assumed the right guard spot for 6 games. Rob Havenstein was the only stable presence; starting all 17 games.

The 2023 season featured new faces with cuts, trades, free agency, and the draft. Jackson-Avila-Shelton-Dotson-Havenstein became the favorite combination. The group only missed a collective 8 games with some of those related to resting starters in Week 18.

Finally, the 2024 season was a juggling act with injuries to Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson, and Rob Havenstein early on and mid-year. Beaux Limmer became the team’s starting center after it found Jonah Jackson oft-injured. Alaric Jackson also served a two game suspension to start the year; causing a lack of continuity on the left side of the line. This forced LA to use players like Joe Noteboom, AJ Arcuri, Warren McClendon, Justin Dedich, Logan Bruss, and Geron Christian. Despite the revolving door, the Rams still had 70+% of the games from the five most common starters.

There isn’t any question about who the five best offensive line options are for the Rams as they head into the 2025 season. Jackson-Avila-Shelton-Dotson-Havenstein appear to be the team’s preferred unit. However, Alaric Jackson’s second bout with blood clots has caused concern about his availability to start the year. If he is forced to miss any time, it appears that DJ Humphries will be asked to step in. If the offensive line can stay healthy, it likely means a healthy Stafford. And a healthy Stafford means production for the Rams offense...

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/8/3/24479764/rams-offensive-line-health-trend

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Rams 53-man roster prediction: Post-training camp edition

Who is favored to make the Rams 53-man roster at the end of training camp?

The Los Angeles Rams have wrapped up training camp and the focus now will be getting ready for Week 1. This week, the Rams will have a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday before the two teams play on Saturday. With the preseason about to get started, back-of-the-roster players will have an opportunity to stand out in front of the coaching staff. Here is my post-training camp Rams 53-man roster.

Quarterback (3): Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett​

This is my first roster prediction this season that includes quarterback Stetson Bennett. While he still needs to show it during the preseason, Bennett has garnered plenty of praise from the media and coaching staff to earn a place on the 53-man roster. This was a big year for Bennett and so far he has risen to the occasion.

Running Back (4): Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter, Ronnie Rivers​

There isn’t a lot of competition at the back of the Rams running back depth chart. While there will be competition at the top between Corum and Hunter, these are going to be the four that make the final roster.

Wide Receiver (5): Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield​

It would seem odd for the Rams not to keep six wide receivers and Britain Covey could make it as a kick returner. However, as seen last year with Boston Scott, the Rams aren’t going to keep a player around simply because they return kicks. Jarquez Hunter has some experience as a kick returner and the Rams could use Atwell on the punt unit. Xavier Smith is another name to watch here.

Tight End (4): Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen​

The Rams tight ends seem set with these four. They will likely keep a fifth or sixth on the practice squad, but the team can feel good about this group.

Offensive Line (9): Alaric Jackson, DJ Humphries, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, KT Leveston, Beaux Limmer, Warren McClendon​

What the Rams do on the offensive line is going to be extremely interesting. That’s especially the case considering Alaric Jackson’s status. There isn’t a guarantee that he is ready for Week 1, but the Rams also haven’t placed him on the PUP list. The Rams may wait and there is a clearer idea on when Jackson can return.

Linebacker (4): Omar Speights, Nate Landman, Chris Paul Jr., Shaun Dolac​

This is another position group that’s going to be hard to break into from anyone on the outside looking in. It’s possible that the Rams go with experience and Troy Reeder finds a spot on the roster. However, Dolac has impressed during training camp and Nate Landman has been a standout.

EDGE (5): Jared Verse, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Nick Hampton, Brennan Jackson​

Players like Nick Hampton and Brennan Jackson will have a lot to prove in the preseason, but it’s unlikely that their roster spots are in question. The Rams simply don’t have the depth behind them. Hampton and Jackson will be competing with each other for playing time.

Cornerback (4): Ahkello Witherspoon, Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes​

Four cornerbacks does not seem like a lot, but defensive coordinator Chris Shula seems to value his safeties. The Rams can keep a few cornerbacks on the practice squad while players like Quentin Lake play primarily in the slot.

Safety (5): Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough, Nate Valcarcel​

There will be a lot of competition at safety on the back end of the depth chart. Nate Valcarcel is someone that I expect to show out during the preseason, but Tanner Ingle is another name to watch. Between Lake, Curl, Kinchens, and McCollough the Rams will have an experienced top four.

Defensive Line (7): Poona Ford, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison, Ty Hamilton, Desjuan Johnson​

It’s possible that the Rams could move on from Larrell Murchison, especially with Tyler Davis having a strong camp. That would allow them to keep more players at other positions. Still, this is a good variety of depth when it comes to run-stoppers and pass rushers.

Special Teams (3): Joshua Karty, Ethan Evans, Alex Ward​

There’s nothing to see here.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/8/4/24480815/rams-training-camp-roster-prediction

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

What’s more important for Rams: Competing or Stafford succession plan?

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Is Matthew Stafford’s successor more important than Rams competing this season?

The Los Angeles Rams have entered the 2025 season in a bit of a weird spot with one foot in two different timelines. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as the Rams are set up to compete now, but have pieces in place to sustain success through the next era. At the same time, it can make things confusing as far as committing to one particular timeline.

This is a young roster with two of its most important pillars moving forward under the age of 24. Those pillars are wide receiver Puka Nacua and edge rusher Jared Verse. By trading back in the 2025 NFL Draft with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams were able to pick up an extra 2026 first round pick in what is supposed to be a much better quarterback class.

Still, this is a roster set up to compete. The Rams were 14 yards away from hosting the NFC Championship game against the Washington Commanders. They were the team that got the closest to knocking off the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. During the offseason, the Rams committed to Matthew Stafford by re-doing his contract and giving him more guaranteed money. With that move, it seemed clear that the Rams wanted to squeeze everything left out of Stafford and try to push for one more Super Bowl title with the star quarterback.

Operating in two different timelines is easier said than done and at some point the Rams may need to commit to and prioritize one of them. Is this a team that’s looking ahead to 2026 and this season is more of a bridge year than some want it to be? Conversely, is this a team that truly sees itself as a contender?

Both of those aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, but holding on to both also sacrifices each timeline’s potential. The Rams may have already sacrificed the potential of one in favor of the other and may be on the verge of doing the same to the timeline that they presumably committed to originally.

Heading into the 2023 season, general manager Les Snead consistently brought up the idea of building around three pillars on the roster. Those three pillars were Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald. Said Snead entering 2023,

“When you have someone like Matthew Stafford, players like Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, there’s some weight-bearing walls there that we still have, and we’re going to rely on those — don’t want to put pressure on them — and then at some point remodel around them with maybe different teammates, different partners.”

We are now two years removed from that quote and Donald retired after 2023 while Kupp was cut this past offseason. Kupp has been replaced with a younger version in Nacua and Donald replaced by Verse. The only original wall still standing is Stafford.

It would make sense if the Rams wanted to commit to that younger timeline, but that’s not what happened when they re-did Stafford’s contract in March. The Rams easily could have traded Stafford away for draft picks and then had a transition year with Jimmy Garoppolo or Aaron Rodgers for a quarter of the price. That would have set the Rams up to remain competitive on a week-to-week basis and potentially set themselves up for a better draft pick in a good quarterback class. Instead, the Rams committed to the idea of Stafford and the upside of postseason success.

Still, it’s worth wondering how committed the Rams are to that timeline. Again, during the draft the Rams acquired a second first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. That pick will presumably be used to help put the Rams in position to draft a quarterback that becomes Stafford’s successor. However, as I wrote after that trade was made,

“The benefit of the extra first round pick is that it gives the Rams options and they now have flexibility. They won’t be forced into taking a quarterback in what is a bad quarterback class. By adding a 2026 first round pick, Snead gave the Rams options for the future and the now. It immediately became the team’s most important asset in the direction that they choose to take.”

The extra first round pick was never and never should have been just about a quarterback in the 2026 draft class. Snead has been notorious for trading away draft picks for proven talent. That extra first round pick in 2026 also gives them flexibility to make that type of move. However, there is still an idea that the Rams’ first round picks in 2026 are more important or more valuable than a player that could potentially help give the Rams a second Lombardi Trophy with Stafford.

With that being said, are fans ok with just competing this year and once again losing in the divisional round or is there a point where it would be acceptable for the Rams to borrow from 2026? In that same line of thinking, is that completely off of the table because of the post-Stafford implications?

What it comes down to is whether or not it’s believed that the Rams got significantly better by adding Davante Adams and Poona Ford in combination with the development of second and third year players. Is that enough to close the gap between the Rams and Eagles?

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Rams currently have the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl. Being one of the top five or six Super Bowl contenders can’t be taken for granted. This isn’t to say that the Rams should completely sacrifice their future in the same way that they did in a sense in 2021. Lines are thin in the NFL and even if a move is made with the idea to win a Super Bowl, it doesn’t guarantee hoisting the trophy on the final Sunday of the season. Still, if a team is one of those top five or six, should they do whatever they can within reason to capitalize on that moment?

There’s no doubt that what the Rams do at quarterback post-Stafford is certainly important. The last thing that the Rams want to do is follow the path of the Pittsburgh Steelers in which they are forced into a quarterback and then end up in quarterback purgatory. The New England Patriots ended up in a similar situation after Tom Brady. It’s a thin needle to thread.

Even if the Rams do keep the extra first round pick for 2026, there’s no guarantee that the quarterback they want is available or that the player becomes a franchise quarterback. Arch Manning is a player that the Rams are reportedly targeting. All signs currently point to Manning staying in school another year. Cade Klubnik, LaNorris Sellers, and Drew Allar are potential options. All three of them aren’t going to hit. There’s risk involved there as well.

It’s very possible that the Rams have already committed to the future timeline and this is more of a bridge year than some may want it to be. There isn’t a wrong answer when it comes to which timeline the Rams should prioritize. The point here is that there’s going to come a time when the Rams need to prioritize one of them. This is a team that has the flexibility to pivot if the opportunity arises. Whether they choose to capitalize on that opportunity could define both the end of the Stafford era and the beginning of what’s next.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/8/4/24480743/rams-matthew-stafford-succession-plan

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Sports doctor gives his thoughts on Matthew Stafford’s back soreness

It’s not often that I share updates from doctors on social media with respect to Los Angeles Rams players; however, because updates from the team itself have been kept at a minimum, it seems apt to look to other sources.

Dr. Jesse Morse took to X to give his thoughts on Matthew Stafford’s back injury. While all should be taken with a grain of salt, Morse does have an impressive sports resume. He’s CEO of the InjuryExpertz website that maintains injury histories and player analysis. On X he has over 135,000 followers with posts that often surpass over 20,000 views.

Here are a few nuggets from Morse:

Matthew Stafford has the longest injury history on record​

InjuryExpertz claims to be the “largest and most accurate NFL injury database”. Of all the players they have on file, Morse says Stafford’s injury log is among the lengthiest.

It’s worth noting that Stafford suffered broken spinal bones twice during his time with the Detroit Lions. In 2022—his second in Los Angeles—he was shutdown around the midpoint of the season with a spinal cord contusion following multiple reported concussions. Stafford’s mostly been healthy over the last two years, at least to the extent of missing games. There will always be wear and tear that must be managed throughout the season.

In Morse’s words, “the greatest predictor of future injuries is past injuries… once Stafford starts to ramp up, he really won’t get a break for more than a couple days until at least January.”

I’m cautiously optimistic on Matthew Stafford and his back injury.

This guy has the LONGEST injury history I have record of.

Here’s some thoughts, particularly as it pertains to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. https://t.co/HbUm83O5Oq pic.twitter.com/u9ADIUS7OK

— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) July 26, 2025

Even if Stafford plays, he could be limited​

One red flag noted by Morse is that the team is using a “week-to-week” timeframe with Stafford instead of “day-to-day”.

Per Morse, “Sounds like the team is being extra cautious, but I definitely have some concerns in terms of pain and mobility. Especially since it’s already bothering him and he really hasn’t done any significant work on the field or been able to be hit yet.”

The Rams ask a lot from the quarterback position. Even if Stafford is able to start and play from Week 1 forward, the offense may look different and Sean McVay’s play sheet could be limited.

It lends me to ask the following questions. These are not predictions but merely things to consider. The answer may be “no” on several if not all, but in the aggregate the more Stafford is unable to do the more the Rams could be hamstrung by the injury:

• Will Stafford have adequate mobility on designed movement, such as rollouts on play action?
• Do designed backfield motions (by WR’s, etc.) create a concern in terms of twisting and turning? This is an important element of the offense but requires a certain amount of mobility for play action, etc.
• Will Alaric Jackson start at left tackle Week 1 and be able to stabilize blindside protection?
• Would the Rams feel comfortable on deep drop backs with Stafford? This could reduce the effectiveness of the traditional passing game particularly in the longer ranged area of the field.
• Could Stafford suffer diminished arm strength or accuracy? His down-to-down accuracy has fallen off from his career peaks, and any further decline could spell major trouble.
• How many hits can Stafford take? A Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans is not favorable in this regard with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. Rams will also play the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Ravens in the early going.

Final thoughts​

It doesn’t seem as if we will see Stafford on the field soon, though ultimately only the team knows where the quarterback stands.

Stafford will do his own individual workout on Monday while the rest of the roster has a “jog thru” in advance of the joint practices with the Dallas Cowboys.

Per McVay, Stafford is performing “unloaded running on the treadmill, sometimes it might even be walking.” That update doesn’t exactly scream that the quarterback is ramping up in anticipation of returning to the field. Being able to walk is positive, but it’s concerning that he’s not jogging without his body weight. There are many intricate movements required to replicate playing quarterback. The motion is often not linear and that’s before you account for the added possibility that Stafford could be sacked by a 300+ lbs. defensive lineman on any play.

This is me being honest. It’s not intended to incite panic or stir the pot. It sounds like Stafford has a ways to go before he returns to football activities. There is a finite amount of time until the regular season. He’s already slated to miss the entirety of training camp at LMU and is going on Week 3 of absences.

With each passing day the panic meter seems to be ticking upwards.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/8/4/24480719/rams-matthew-stafford-back-injury-fantasy

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Welcome to the new Turf Show Times: A fresh look, fewer ads and a new feature

Things will look a little different around here today.

A few weeks ago we told you something new was coming to Turf Show Times and today it’s here. Things are cleaner, faster and easier to use. There are the same writers, coverage, comments, and community you’ve come to rely on, now with less clutter and clunkiness.

Let’s dive in. If you scroll down the page on your phone or computer, it’s smoother. You’ll notice that the most talked-about stories have a bigger font displaying the number of comments. You’ll also see a section called Active Conversations to point you to the busiest conversations right now.

But there’s two changes we’re most excited to tell you about:

Fewer ads for logged-in users​

Our loyal readers and commenters are the heartbeat of our communities, and with this new design we’re excited to offer them fewer ads when they’re logged in. Specifically:

• Video players will no longer chase you down the page. Just scroll past one and it will be gone.
• Full page pop-ups that would sometimes interrupt your commenting experience have been disabled.

You can log in or sign up here and check it out.

A new feature by the community, for the community: The Feed​

Today we’re launching a brand new space for you to come together. The Feed is a running stream of posts and updates from you, the community, mixed in with links and updates from the team and our staff. Think of it as our community’s group text where you can easily grab your phone and share a link to a story, post a question or write your own post on the day’s news.

You can find it in two places:

• On the homepage, adjacent to the top stories. Community participation is core to who we are, so we want it right on the front page to share your stuff.
• A devoted homepage for The Feed where you can see the full stream of posts coming in from the community. You might want to bookmark that.

Log in or sign up here and you can start posting on The Feed and seeing fewer ads immediately.



Today’s launch is a big deal for our community, and it’s also a kickoff of broader efforts to build around the community we have here. Soon you’ll get alerts when someone replies to your comment or your post on The Feed, with more to come thereafter. We want to put the community in the driver’s seat, so let us know what you want in the comments below or in The Feed.

If you want to dig into more of this updated experience, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton, where he expands on the changes in our ads and design. Ed will be responding to questions in the comments. If you have any questions about how to log in to our new system, check out this article from last week.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...imes-a-fresh-look-fewer-ads-and-a-new-feature

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Random Ramsdom: Stafford to miss practices with Cowboys

Part of the reason Sean McVay says key players can miss pre-season games is because he feels his Los Angeles Rams get just as good, if not better work in when they compete in joint-practices with other teams, so Matthew Stafford missing upcoming joint-practices with the Dallas Cowboys is concerning, and I’ll admit that.

Is it concerning enough to consider that the Rams won’t be able to recover? That’s for you to decide, but I think if the Rams fail this season, it won’t be because Stafford missed joint-practices with a team who’s likely not going to have their best defensive player (Micah Parsons) competing.

It’s all interesting, and we’ll keep monitoring, but at this time I don’t know if there is more to read into, other than Stafford will miss joint practices with Dallas, and other players should get more reps.

Please comment on whatever you want, happy Monday and thanks for checking out Turf Show Times!

Rams Receive Concerning Matthew Stafford Injury Update (newsweek)​

“Klein also revealed that Stafford’s status for the team’s joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers, which will be on August 13, is also up in the air.

“Not surprisingly, McVay said Matthew Stafford, who has not practiced, would not participate in a joint practice with Cowboys,” Klein wrote on X. “Availability for joint practice with Chargers TBD.”

"Throughout the season our rush group really came together… that's when the sack total started to come for all of us."

Inside Rams Camp | @UnifyFCU pic.twitter.com/OZjkP0fYMx

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 3, 2025

Training camp is begging Rams to make obvious roster decision they won’t (ramblinfan)​

“When Schrader was added to the Rams’ running back room, the team was aiming for a homogenous group of players with similar stature, weight, and running style. While Schrader was the heaviest running back (by two pounds), he was unremarkable in every other way.

Cody Schrader isn’t helping his case at Rams training camp

If you examine the current Rams running back roster, you see that the team has added two new rookies to the running back room. Rookie RB Jarquez Hunter is road-runner fast and possesses powerful strides that allow him to run through tackles as well.”

.@LAFC at Rams Camp pic.twitter.com/PhBhuRHaz9

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 3, 2025

How to bet the Rams in 2025: Super Bowl odds, win total, props, best bets for Los Angeles (cbssports)​

“The NFC West won’t be easy once again in 2025 as the 49ers suffered horrific injury luck last year and the Seahawks tied the Rams with 10 wins. But L.A. may be the best positioned team in the division thanks in large part to a defensive core that’s been built across the last two drafts, as Jared Verse and Braden Fiske were selected in the first two rounds last year and Kobie Turner and Byron Young were third-round selections in 2023. That group has really clicked for the Rams, especially late, holding four of their final six opponents, including the playoffs, to nine points or less. Now, that unit gets a boost with Poona Ford joining the fray, so big things could be in store for the Rams defensively in 2025.”

These are the days of Rams Camp pic.twitter.com/vaVsnm6yO0

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 3, 2025

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/8/4/24480376/rams-news-cowboys-stafford-joint-practices

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

The Rams expect Matthew Stafford to play Week 1

Despite any ailments that Matthew Stafford is going through, there is an expectation among the Los Angeles Rams that Stafford will suit up Week 1 against the Houston Texans.

When NFL’s ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported that Stafford was dealing with an aggravated disc, he also added that L.A. plans for Stafford to be a go when the season opens.

On the Rich Eisen Show, Andrew Whitworth shared that he expects Stafford to play for the Rams Week 1, and Whitworth since retiring, has only seemed to have and share a better of understanding of the inner workings of the Rams.

Can saying Stafford will play Week 1 be a smoke screen?​

Yes.

Sean McVay and his crew may be putting it out that Stafford is expected to play Week 1, when they know his injury is more concerning than they are letting on. What good does that do the team? A healthy Stafford (or perception of) increases the chances (or perception of) towards the Rams winning a Super Bowl, which in turn increases interest in the Rams market.

Teams, specifically the Texans also will have to prepare differently if Stafford is playing as opposed to Jimmy Garoppolo making this potential smokescreen not just business driven, but strategic on a football level as well.

There’s plenty of reasons for the Rams to push the narrative that Stafford is the plan, however has McVay ever not wanted his best players to play when it mattered?

It’s likely McVay does expect (and really hopes) Stafford plays Week 1, the organization expects (and really hopes) Stafford suits up, and as long as Stafford does play, and plays well, then this storyline will be a big nothing.

If Stafford misses time, and or if the Rams falter as the veteran gunslinger looks rusty, then there will be more questions about the Rams and Stafford until they right their ship.

File this one away under TBD in the Football Zone.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angeles-rams-schedule/101490/rams-matthew-staffordtexans-week-1

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Rams vs. Cowboys: How to watch on TV, stream or listen on radio

If the Rams house is rockin, don’t bother knocking, come on in(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

It’s time to kickoff the Los Angeles Rams 2025 preseason. On Saturday August 9, L.A. puts out the welcome mat at SoFi Stadium as the Dallas Cowboys ride into town for the opener, a 4 p.m. matinee performance.

Under Head Coach Sean McVay, the Rams have historically played very few of their top performers and true to form, as many as 35 players are expected to sit out Saturday’s tilt.. While lacking star power, it does allow the bottom half of the roster to get some live work on film and gives them a shot to work up the depth chart.

Bubble players, whether battling for reps or a spot on opening roster, get to show they can successfully apply what they learn in practice to a full contact game situation. There are some major battles brewing. In the secondary, a half-dozen candidates are fighting for two, maybe three spots. On the edge, it’s wide open after the starters and the linebacker unit is still a work in progress. Things are bit more set on the offense, but offensive line play will stay highlighted because of early injuries to the unit.

With or without the stars, you can still fire up the grill and ice down the drinks, Rams football is back.

WATCH ON TV LIVE​

• TV Coverage: KABC-7 (locally in Los Angeles, plus other TV partners – see below)
• Play-by-Play: J.B. Long
• Color Analysts: Mina Kimes and Maurice Jones-Drew
• Sideline reporter: Curt Sandoval

TV affiliate stations:

Domestic Markets:

• KOAT ABC 7 – Albuquerque, NM
• KBAK CBS 29 – Bakersfield, CA
• KFSN ABC 30 – Fresno, CA
• KESQ ABC 3 – Palm Springs, CA
• KEYT ABC 3 – Santa Barbara/Santa Maria/San Luis Obispo, CA
• KGTV ABC 10 – San Diego, CA
• KHII Channel 9 – Honolulu, HI
• KJZZ Channel 14 – Salt Lake City, UT
• KNSN Nevada Sports Net – Reno, NV
• NYUR CW 13 – Anchorage, AK
• NATN CW 2 – Fairbanks, AK
• NJUD CW 8 – Juneau, AK

International Markets:

• Seven – Australia
• Tencent – China
• TV Azteca – Mexico

STREAMING​

A live stream will be available on the following platforms if the game is available on TV in the local market:

• Rams official mobile app
• therams.com

Also, but not limited to: NFL+, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, and many others.

LISTEN ON RADIO​

Local Radio coverage: ESPN LA 710 AM

• Play-by-Play: Jorge Sedano
• Color Analyst: D’Marco Farr

ESPNLA’s affiliate radio stations:

Domestic Markets:

• KMET/1490 AM & 98.1 FM – Banning, CA
• KFIG/790 AM – Fresno, CA
• KAVL/610 AM & 106.7 FM – Lancaster, CA
• KRHQ/102.3 FM – Palm Springs, CA
• KTIE/590 AM – Riverside, CA
• KGB/760 AM – San Diego, CA
• KXTK/1280 AM & 101.7 FM – San Luis Obispo, CA
• KSMA/1240 AM & 99.5 FM – Santa Maria, CA
• KSHP/1400 AM & 107.1 – Las Vegas, NV
• KVLI/1140 AM & 103.7 FM – Bakersfield, CA
• KVTA/1590 AM – Oxnard/Ventura, CA
• KTMS/990 AM – Santa Barbara, CA
• KIXW/960 AM – Victorville, CA
• KXO/107.5 FM – El Centro, CA
• KOVO/960 AM – Provo, UT
• KIKI/990 AM – Honolulu, HI

International Markets:

• LiSTNR App – Australia
• W Radio – Mexico

Spanish Radio coverage: Tu Liga Radio 1330 AM

• Play-by-Play: Troy Santiago
• Color Analyst: Ricardo Lopez

Tu Liga Radio’s affiliate radio stations:

• KTMZ/1220 AM – Pomona, CA
• KCAL/1410 AM – San Bernardino and Riverside, CA
• KOXR 910 AM – Oxnard and Ventura, CA

SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE​

Instagram: @rams

Facebook: /rams

X (formerly known as Twitter): @RamsNFL

TikTok: @rams

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...-how-to-watch-on-tv-stream-or-listen-on-radio

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

What are you looking forward to in Rams preseason opener?

The Los Angeles Rams open their 2025 preseason on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys, a game that will be focused on two players who won’t be participating: Matthew Stafford and Micah Parsons.

That doesn’t mean that Rams fans have nothing to watch for or anticipate, regardless of Sean McVay’s insistence that preseason games are not important for starters and key backups. But sometimes it can be hard to find meaning in the moments deemed as “meaningless” to some, including McVay…at least as it pertains to starters!

So rather than me tell you what’s important, let’s go back to the most trusted authority on the Rams that there is in the entire world: RAMS FANS.

I’ll post questions about the Rams-Cowboys preseason game in the comments section below. You scroll down and answer them, post your own thoughts, and read what your fellow fans have to say about the game. What should we be watching for? What should we expect? And what do you hope to get out of Saturday’s game?

What are you waiting for? Start scrolling down and help us appreciate the moments that aren’t being appreciated!

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...u-looking-forward-to-in-rams-preseason-opener

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Rams cap hits for each offensive starter

The Los Angeles Rams have invested a lot of money into their offensive players; spending $173,105,281 in 2025 to engineer Sean McVay’s game plan. This ranks them second in the league in offensive spending, second to the Atlanta Falcons. Despite the large share invested in their offense, I wanted to look at the offensive starters specifically and comparatively of where they rank with their 2025 cap hits across other NFL offensive players.

*The numbers in the ( ) denote the 2025 cap hit and the player’s rank at that respective position in the NFL.*

QB – Matthew Stafford ($47,466,666 , QBs: 2nd)

Only Dak Prescott is ahead of Stafford when it comes to 2025 cap hits. Stafford will account for 17% of LA’s cap this year after receiving a new deal this offseason.

RB – Kyren Williams ($5,423,601 , RBs: 20th)

The details of Kyren’s recent contract extension have yet to be fully released but heading into the 2025 season on the last year of his rookie deal, Williams is a bargain based on his last two years of production.

WR – Davante Adams ($12,000,000 , WRs: 17th)

Sean McVay’s new toy from this year’s free agency period has received polarizing reviews thus far. But, the Rams were able to acquire the 32 year old wide receiver for a friendly deal considering the WR market having exploded in recent years. Adams has been one of the game’s most productive WRs throughout his career and even despite eclipsing the “30 year old” barrier that teams dread for WRs…he is still very productive…even with the likes of Aiden McConnell, a declining Aaron Rodgers, and a bad “Raiders” Jimmy Garoppolo. Adams is bound to thrive with Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, and this Rams offense.

WR – Puka Nacua ($1,901,244 , WRs: 174th)

The Rams have an absolute steal with Puka Nacua. The third year WR is making a little less than $2 million while producing as a Top 10 WR in the NFL. Rams fans…enjoy this while it lasts!

WR – Tutu Atwell ($10,000,000 , WRs: 20th)

Right under Adams is Tutu Atwell. The Rams resigning of Atwell this offseason was shocking to a number of analysts, especially at the $10 million mark. He doesn’t create the type of statistical production to justify his 20th cap hit ranking; however Atwell’s presence; notably his speed, will be a significant attribute to the Rams offense that does not show up in the box score.

TE – Tyler Higbee ($8,777,757 , TEs: 16th)

Higbee has received a lot of disrespect over the years from the team’s fanbase. I’m not sure why. Higbee has always been paid in the mid-tier amongst tight ends. And in return, he has typically produced as a Top 15 tight end. Calm down Rams nation. He is worth his contract.

LT – Alaric Jackson ($7,000,000 , LTs: 18th)

Alaric Jackson received a contract extension this offseason and the deal was back heavy so the Rams will only incur a $7 mil cap hit in 2025.

LG – Steve Avila ($2,523,466 , OGs: 53rd)

The Rams first pick of the 2023 draft class enters year three and accounts for less than 1% of the team’s 2025 salary cap.

C – Coleman Shelton ($4,500,000 , C: 16th)

The Rams brought back Coleman Shelton after he had a brief stint with the Chicago Bears. Shelton has been a pretty mediocre center for his career so his 16th ranked center cap hit is neither good nor bad.

RG – Kevin Dotson ($17,916,666 , OGs: 3rd)

Dotson is quickly becoming beloved by Los Angeles fans. He loves the team and culture and I can envision him signing another extension after 2026. He is actually the second highest paid player on the roster.

RT – Rob Havenstein ($11,369,960 , RTs: 11th)

The longest tenured Ram has taken a page out of Andrew Whitworth’s playbook by consistently agreeing to deals that are never at the top of the RT market. Havenstein has provided a lot of stability financially and with his performance.

So amongst the 11 offensive starters, the Rams are spending $128,879,360; approximately $11.7 million per offensive starter.

They are spending $44,225,921 on their offensive backups in large because of cap hits to Colby Parkinson ($9,833,333), Jimmy Garoppolo ($3,125,588), and DJ Humphries ($2,358,824).

The Rams have obviously made a sizable commitment in 2025 to Matthew Stafford. Their 5 offensive linemen are paid slightly above the league average. But based on the performances of players like Kyren Williams, Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Alaric Jackson, and Rob Havenstein – the Rams are getting a lot of return for marginal investment.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angeles-rams-salary-cap/119820/rams-cap-hits-offensive-starters

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Which Rams climbed up the depth chart after season opening win?

Inglewood, CA – August 09: Rams cornerback Josh Wallace flashes a form tackle on a Dallas Cowboy (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

After a tumultuous training camp, the Los Angeles Rams opened the 2025 NFL preseason with a dominating 31-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. The game was not as close as the sore would indicate. Dallas scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, while at the same time, the Rams took their foot off the gas and used a punishing ground game to run out the clock.

As per his standard practice, Head Coach Sean McVay did not suit up his starters and primary backups (34 Rams sat out). Still, both the Rams offense and defense were running on all cylinders and it offered fans a good chance to get a glimpse at some of the lower-tier position and roster battles. The combatants did not disappoint. While mistakes were made, effort was strong all through the game and with a slew of different lineups.

Here’s how I saw the game, the battles, and the depth chart.

Quarterback​

Didn’t play: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garappolo

My depth chart: Stetson Bennett

Bennett played up to hype he’s been receiving from camp. He looked in control, made good choices, and consistently moved the offense. Best of all, the Rams scored touchdowns in the red zone. His play, if continued on through preseason, will force the Rams braintrust into an interesting roster bubble decision. With the overall lack of quarterback talent behind NFL starters, it is unlikely Bennett would clear waivers. Adding him to the opening 53 as QB#3 may be a given, but would risk a position player to the vagaries of the waiver wire.

I’m not saying Stetson Bennett looks like someone, but he looks like someone pic.twitter.com/ujYvGUrK7X

— Playoff NFL (@_PlayoffNFL) August 9, 2025

Running back​

Didn’t play: Kyren Williams

My depth chart: Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter, Cody Schrader, Ronnie Rivers, Jordan Waters

The whole group looked good, running with a physical edge. Late in the game, Schrader ran the ball very well and with Rivers exiting with a rib injury, will likely bump up a spot. To really overcome Rivers and have a shot at the active roster, he’ll have to make some noise on special teams. To a lesser extent, Waters is in the same boat. Although Hunter adds a true power element to the offense, I don’t think he did enough against the Cowboys to pass Corum. Not yet anyway.

#Rams’ Sean McVay on Jarquez Hunter

“When they’re trying to get those knock back tackles, he’s knocking guys back and finishing forward where what might be a four-yard run ends up being an eight-yard or seven-yard run.”@latimessports story to come on Hunter (and his horse…) pic.twitter.com/N2CJ8Bb6NN

— Ira Gorawara (@IraGorawara) August 10, 2025

Wide receiver​

Didn’t play: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington

My depth chart: Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield, Brennan Presley, Britain Covey, Drake Stoops, Mario Williams

Early in the game, Smith looked strong, creating space and showing good hands. He adds speed, kick return ability, and was a gunner on coverage teams last year. Mumpfield had the wide-open drop, but was regularly getting open. If the Rams keep six receivers, he’s still safe. Both Presley and Covey showed what they are about, slot/motion guys with jet sweep and kick return ability. Although still on the outside looking in, their play closed a little ground on Mumpfield. Stoops had a couple of catches, while Williams had a drop.

Stetson Bennett IV throws his second TD of the game! This time to
Brennan Presley.

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/56DgCRwtcg

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2025

Tight end​

Didn’t play: Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson

My depth chart: Davis Allen, Anthony Torres, Mark Redman

Although his action was early, it’s surprising that Allen played. He’s in Year 3 and has shown what he’s got in the tank. Ferguson, if healthy, is the one that needs a taste of experience against pros. For his first game after coming out of the MAC, Torres played pretty well, showing good physicality and some solid blocking. He did however, tweak an ankle late in the game and if out more than a couple days, he’ll fall behind Redman (one catch), who just passed his physical to join the team a week ago.

Stetson Bennett to Davis Allen. pic.twitter.com/P1iWrF8zBI

— Allen Sales (@AllenSales) August 9, 2025

Offensive line​

Didn’t play: Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, DJ Humphries, Warren McClendon

My depth chart: Beaux Limmer, Justin Dedich, KT Leveston, Willie Lampkin, Wyatt Bowles, AJ Arcuri, Dan Quessenberry, Ben Dooley, Dylan McMahon, Trey Wedig

The stars of the offense, solid in both run and pass.The biggest surprise was Bowles starting at left guard and going all the way. Asked to make a big step up in class, the undrafted rookie out of Utah State (MWC) answered with a solid debut performance. Overall, L.A. really flashed their cross training chops and used a lot of player combinations. Limmer and Dedich saw time at both center and guard, as did Willie Lampkin. Leveston played guard for a few snaps and the moved out to left tackle. Arcuri got work at both tackle spots. Quessenberry got snaps early, while Dooley picked up his reps at guard late in the game. I don’t know if either were injury related, but McMahon and Wedig did not see action.

Willie "no gloves" Lampkin looked like he belonged that's for sure. Check the spin on the climb in clip 2. pic.twitter.com/sDbqG5Lhsy

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 10, 2025

Defensive line​

Didn’t play: Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis

My depth chart: Ty Hamilton, Larrell Murchison, Desjuan Johnson, Jack Heflin, Bill Norton, D’Jon Terry, Decarius Hawthorne

It was more successful than pretty for the defensive front. The Cowboys had had 64 yards rushing and less than 150 total yards after three quarters. The Rams played very vanilla and showed primarily four-man fronts Although not much pressure was applied, all pursued well. They used a straight-ahead bull rush attack, very few stunts, twists, or loops, seemingly content to contain the pocket and force Cowboy QB Joe Milton to throw into seven-man coverages. Heflin made some ground up with good pursuit and effort and Norton plugged the middle well in late-game action. Everybody else appeared to hold position.

good job by Jack Heflin, gets under the guard then gives him the long arm while keeping eye on ball carrier and closes gap to make tackle

that's good because no one else there to help him. — RB might have gotten some yards on this, pic.twitter.com/qROPmX3NMD

— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) August 10, 2025

Edge​

Didn’t play: Jared Verse, Byron Young

My depth chart: Josaiah Stewart, Brennan Jackson, Keir Thomas, Nick Hampton, Jamil Muhammad, Josh Pearcy

Stewart chipped in a sack on his maiden voyage and because of it, was the only edge player to make a depth chart move towards the primary backup role. None of his competition stood out. Hampton had difficulties giving up the edge, as did Jackson to a lesser extent, Thomas was unremarkable.

#FFIDP Josiah Stewart saw 19 snaps. Had a nice sack on Joe Milton. Gets a good burst, and maintains a nice pad level. He has active hands and doesn't give the tackle much of a surface to block. pic.twitter.com/uVuSk4NR1f

— Mike Woellert (@Mike_Woellert) August 10, 2025

Off-ball linebacker​

Didn’t play: Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Troy Reeder

My depth chart: Chris Paul, Sean Dolac, Tony Fields, Elias Neal

Paul started, really pursued the ball aggressively and wore the green dot. That’s very interesting to note going forward. Dolac played well and true to his draft review form, a bit under-sized, but with huge effort. Fields showed off his experience and had nine tackles, although a long shot with the unit’s 2025 rebuild, he would be a safe, savvy bottom of the roster player. Neal got the start, but was quiet.

Dolac — look how he gets skinny early, tucks in shoulder like a pass rusher, so he can split the double team—instinctual pic.twitter.com/RlR6NPcmca

— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) August 10, 2025

Cornerback​

Didn’t play: Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes

My depth chart: Josh Wallace, AJ Green, Charles Woods, Cam Lampkin, Derion Kendrick, Shaun Jolly

It looked as if Wallace was lined up at safety for the game and he showed quite well. He was physical and pursued the ball. Green looked sharp in coverage and was willing to tackle. Both Woods and Lampkin made plays. Kendrick and Jolly fell back a bit. Kendrick didn’t do anything wrong, but the others outshone him. Jolly had a tough day, it started with a couple of pass interference calls, but he was also on the wrong end of some nice Cowboy completions.

Cam Lampkin pick! Pro Cougs going crazy tonight! pic.twitter.com/NXvLVhhl0C

— Go Cougs (@gocougs123) August 10, 2025

Safety​

Didn’t play: Kamren Curl, Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough

My depth chart: Nate Valcarcel, Malik Dixon-Williams, Tanner Ingle

Valcarcel looks a bit thin on the field, but had himself a solid first NFL game. He was L.A.’s leading tackler, pursued well, and showed a knack for open-field tackling. With Wallace playing safety, his path to the roster is a bit blurred, but if he keeps stacking good games, he’ll create his own opening. While Dixon-Williams and Ingle are longer shots to make the team, they combined for eight tackles.

Nate Valcarcel led the Rams with 10 tackles and 1 PD. Dude was everywhere today. Hopefully that continues into the next 2 preseason games. @NateValcarcel #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ClOyxD4gYV

— Allen Sales (@AllenSales) August 10, 2025

Who to watch for in Week 2​

Offensively, quarterback is key, so the continued maturation of Stetson Bennett should be very entertaining. There’s not really a path to play time without injuries, but his improvement a good sign for the future. While both are locked onto the roster, Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter are still battling for RB#2. Xavier Smith should be WR#5 and if the Rams roster six, Konata Mumpfield will have his hands full battling Britain Covey and Brennan Presley, both of whom possess kick return chops. The offensive line will be crazy, seven veterans apparently locked in, with Beaux Limmer and Justin Dedich looking solid. If the Rams roster 10, that makes it a six-man battle for the final berth.

On defense, the interior line decision must be weighed between versatile players Larrell Murchison or Desjuan Johnson against monolithic clogger Bill Norton. Jack Heflin strikes a balance between the two. Edge is still a question mark, with all the main characters biding for a role. What Chris Paul and Shaun Dolac lack in elite size, they make up for in aggressive pursuit. Josh Wallace is a new face at safety, his cornerback versatility makes him one to watch. And finally, AJ Green’s work at outside corner deserves another look.

How about just soaking up the Rams solid play? Yes, while it’s safe to not read too much into preseason games, the Cowboy win was the best the Rams have looked at this point in the McVay era. There’s plenty to be cleaned up in film review, but the offense actually looked like an offense and the defense was aggressive. The Rams may have found an identity for 2025, tough physically and mentally.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...d-up-the-depth-chart-after-season-opening-win

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

What possesses anyone to care about the preseason?

The Los Angeles Rams had a solid start to preseason play with a 31-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys. While it was nice to see the Rams on the winning side, honestly, who cares? Why should anyone care about such a meaningless result? More so, what possesses anyone to give two hoots about the preseason?

The talking point surrounding the existence of preseason play has been done to death, but it’s worth bringing up once more. Most NFL fans, including those who follow this site, would love it if preseason games were eliminated from the face of the earth. I understand that it’s a temporary fix for our football cravings, but how desperate do you have to be to sit through an entire game? No way in hell would I do it … sober.

I’ve never understood why anyone puts stock into preseason games. It’s hard to care about watching third and fourth-stringers play against teams fielding the same units for a solid chunk of the game. The majority of those players are unlikely to see an NFL field in the regular season anytime soon, if at all.

If I wanted to watch crappy football with a bunch of nobodies, I’d just flip on the UFL.

Okay, Stetson Bennett looked good last night and everything, but again, who cares?

Preseason is good for giving guys like Bennett valuable reps to see how far they’ve come in training camp. Still, preseason is not an accurate indicator of real NFL game play, as teams rarely field their first and second-team units for long. But sure, tell me again about how much a backup to the backup quarterback shredded the other team’s backups.

The main reason I cannot take the preseason seriously is that countless players who have looked like stars in the exhibition matches and made the final roster never amount to anything.

Lance McCutcheon is an excellent example of what I’m talking about. McCutcheon was an undrafted free agent in 2022 and led the league in receiving yards during that year’s preseason, eventually making the Rams’ 53-man roster out of training camp. He looked like a promising addition to the team’s receiving corps and instead, appeared in 10 games in his rookie campaign, starting one, but never recorded a reception. This offseason, McCutcheon is suiting up for his third team since failing to make L.A.‘s roster in 2023.

I’m very negative about anything related to the preseason, even though there have been several instances of players who have gone on to have great careers following strong play in exhibition play. Broncos legend Terrell Davis unofficially saw his Hall of Fame career take off after a monster hit in a preseason game in Japan. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott landed the starting gig in Dallas when he demonstrated his veteran pose in preseason. That pose transitioned well to the regular season, though not to preseason success, even though he expects to face the Rams in the NFC Championship.

However, those success stories—and whatever Dak’s is—are few and far between. Even more nauseating when seeing someone be hospitalized in a game that ultimately does nothing to move the needle in any direction.

Most of what happens in preseason really doesn’t matter, so I’m not going to sweat it, and neither should you. Wake me up when September begins, or however that Green Day song goes.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...24461/rams-nfl-preseason-meaningless-football

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Rams make minor roster move

The Los Angeles Rams did a tight end swap on Monday, waiving Anthony Torres and signing McCallan Castles. Torres suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, opening the door to make a change, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

Castles went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2024 and spend last season on the practice squads for the Eagles and Chargers.

The Rams signed TE McCallan Castles and waived TE Anthony Torres. Torres injured his ankle on Saturday.

— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) August 11, 2025

Castles started his career at Cal in 2018 and spent two seasons with the Golden Bears prior to transferring to UC Davis in 2020. He had a little over 700 seasons combined in the 2022-2023 seasons and then took full advantage of the extra year of eligibility due to Covid-19 and the transfer portal, going to Tennessee in 2024. There, Castles had 283 yards and five touchdowns as a sixth-year senior at his third school.

Ah, modern college football.

Castles is 6’4, 244 lbs, and ran a reported 4.68 40-yard dash at his pro day. He was waived by the Chargers one week ago.

Torres was undrafted out of Toledo.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angeles-rams-roster/124514/rams-make-minor-roster-move

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

NFL Coordinator on Stafford: ‘Every time I watch him, I go, ‘Whoa!”

Heading into the 2025 NFL season, there remain some serious questions regarding Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and the ongoing back soreness situation. However, that hasn’t necessarily changed how Stafford is viewed around the league. At his best when healthy, Stafford is still arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL with incredible arm talent.

Stafford has always been that quarterback, but since joining the Rams in 2021, more people around the NFL are beginning to see it first hand. That’s especially the case with Stafford consistently making the postseason and leading late-season surges to get the Rams into the playoffs.

The Athletic’s Mike Sando released his annual QB Tiers list on Monday and taking a top-five spot as number five for a second consecutive season was Stafford. Said Sando,

“Stafford is making his Tier 1 debut at age 37 after 11 consecutive seasons in Tier 2. His ability to work through a back injury that has sidelined him in camp will be key…Stafford’s ability to process and play from the pocket has long endeared him to offensive coaches who prefer to play that way.”

An interesting aspect here is Stafford making his debut into Tier 1 at age 37 and entering his 17th season. The longer Stafford remains with McVay, the more his image is inflated around the league. Nobody would say that Stafford just had his best season in 2024. However, how he’s viewed around the NFL has never been higher.

From 2014 to 2017, Stafford threw for over 4200 yards in each season. Still, he received a combined 24 Tier 1 votes in those seasons with 15 of them coming before 2018. Stafford’s best season with the Rams came in 2021 and he still had 18 Tier 1 votes to 30 Tier 2 votes. Heading into 2025, Stafford recorded a career-high 26 Tier 1 votes, but ranked just 16th in EPA per dropback. Said one NFL Defensive Coordinator,

“I guarantee all your 1s for Stafford came from offensive coaches. Offensive coaches kiss this guy’s ass all the time, especially guys from that system. He’s really good, though. I would take him over (Justin) Herbert because he is a better passer, with better timing.”

This isn’t to say that Stafford isn’t deserving of being a Tier 1 quarterback, but the difference in how Stafford was viewed in Detroit and how he is viewed the longer he is with McVay is certainly interesting. Stafford’s stock is at an all-time high, but he just recorded his second-worst season in EPA per dropback with the worst coming in the disastrous 2022 season. If anything, it’s at least an overcorrection for all of the years that he didn’t get the recognition with the Lions.

Stafford may have lacked some consistency last year. However, as seen against the Buffalo Bills, he still has the ability to make incredible throw after incredible throw while going toe to toe with the best in the league. As another defensive coordinator said, “That dude is something. Every time I watch him, I go, ‘Whoa!’”. Another coordinator said, He’s a 1. He’s that good. They are a play away from (the NFC Championship Game) last year. He worries the s— out of you.”

With the questions surrounding Stafford’s back, it’s unclear what the Rams are going to be able to get out of their quarterback this season. Unfortunately, that’s something that we won’t know until we know as Week 1 appears to be the priority. Still, Stafford remains one of the more highly regarded quarterbacks in the NFL.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-angeles-rams-news/124554/nfl-qb-tiers-matthew-stafford

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Stafford back injury timeline: A trail of inconsistent reports by Rams

Matthew Stafford has a back injury and that’s the only thing that Rams fans can be confident in right now when it comes to the quarterback’s health. Fans can’t be sure if the injury will go away tomorrow, linger throughout the season, or turn into the worse case scenario, which is surgery. Because regardless of whether or not the situation is worse than the team is letting on, or better than the pessimistic aura of speculations about a Stafford-less training camp, you’d be a fool to believe the next update you hear on the matter.

Quite literally, the only possible report that would give fans any clarity on Stafford’s 2025 outlook would be the one update that nobody wants to hear and Sean McVay doesn’t want to entertain. That would be injured reserve.

Anything other than season-ending news is merely speculation of what might happen tomorrow. Don’t believe me?

• “Stafford will practice next week” part 1 — No he didn’t
• “Stafford will practice next week” part 2 — No he didn’t
• “Stafford looked great on Saturday, he’ll practice tomorrow” — He didn’t
• “Stafford could return on Tuesday” — He didn’t

All reports coming directly from the head coach. All followed up by new updates a day later or a week later of soreness, setbacks, and reports that McVay either didn’t know, didn’t want to share with the fans, or didn’t want to believe. But make no mistake:

The Los Angeles Rams have known more about the severity of Matthew Stafford’s back injury than they’ve admitted in the past (that is on the record, as you’ll see) and McVay has moved back Stafford’s return-to-practice date multiple times in training camp, claimed to have “misspoken” when plans have changed, and claimed that Stafford could play in a game right now prior to then later saying that he actually doesn’t know if Stafford could have played in a game at the time that the coach said he could have.

The team has sent their 37-year-old quarterback to the California back specialist who perhaps only deals with severe situations, and they did it at least twice, while at this exact same time telling the media over and over again that Stafford “feels good”, “is in good shape”, and “looked good” as of just a couple of days ago. McVay says that Stafford could do everything on Saturday in a closed throwing session, had no setbacks the next morning on Sunday, and would practice on Monday.

Instead, Stafford’s soreness apparently waited 48 hours because he did not feel good on Monday morning and has now missed another two practices with no return in sight.

As of the latest news on Tuesday at the close of practice, passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant relieved McVay of the “giving false hope” updates by telling the media that there were no updates on Stafford. If anything, this is perhaps the least encouraging report we’ve had on Stafford all year:

“No, no update on Matthew,” Pleasant said, “but what I will tell you is it’s very tough for not only him and for the organization. I would say is that he’s trying his best.”

“This is very tough on the organization”? Two days ago this organization said he was fine!

How twisty and turny have these last three weeks been when it comes to Matthew Stafford’s aggravated disc? From not having any known injury in late July to only needing to sit a couple of days to suddently being in a “very tough” situation, updates on Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McVay only share one thing in common:

They’re almost always wrong and underselling the severity of the issue.

April 21 – “Excited to jump into offseason workout program”​

From trade rumor and contract drama to no drama, there was apparently nothing to worry about after the Rams re-did Stafford’s deal to keep the quarterback happy for a 17th season, foregoing the chance to take an offer from the Giants or Raiders. In a report from TheRams.com’s Stu Jackson in April, Stafford was just happy to “get that out of the way” and get to work with Davante Adams and Tutu Atwell, stressing the importance of that time together:

“It’s great to have that done and kind of out of the way as we get this thing going,” Stafford said Monday. “Just obviously happy that I’m going to be coming back and doing it again here, which is great.”

With that resolved, Stafford turns his attention to this spring’s offseason workout program, which kicked off Monday morning as players returned to the practice facility for those voluntary sessions.

Stafford’s approach to OTAs evolves every year as he gets older and as the team changes.

Last year was “a little bit unique,” Stafford said, alluding to the contract situation – though he still attended and participated in every OTA and minicamp session while that was ongoing – but as he gets older, his focus is on being as physically and mentally fresh as possible. Being around teammates is also important to him, especially with a new face like wide receiver Davante Adams joining the team and returning wide receiver Tutu Atwell due for an expanded role.

“Obviously getting work with the guys, being around them as much as I can, culturally is a great thing,” Stafford said. “And then getting to work with some of the guys like Davante and Tutu in some new spots and doing all of that kind of stuff will be beneficial.”

The team was preparing us for a modified approach to Stafford’s offseason program as early as April, even compared to the summer before, and Stafford did end up getting some on-field work in with Adams in May during the offseason program:

Matthew Stafford to Davante Adams coming soon. pic.twitter.com/dbCMwQIW52

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 22, 2025

But these light throwing sessions during OTAs and minicamps three months ago are still the most recent times that Stafford has had a chance to develop any chemistry with his receivers or given McVay a chance to practice with the offense he expects to have in the regular season.

June 25 – Biggest red flag on Rams: Stafford’s health​

Not really a report, just a kudos to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports for saying something that looks even more apt six weeks later: The Rams must be wary of Stafford’s health.

Age is just a number, they say. And certainly Stafford is part of that argument, given he nearly knocked off the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles ahead of his 37th birthday to close 2024. But this is a gunslinger who’s also battled real bumps and bruises over the last half-decade, to the point he’s openly contemplated retirement. Sean McVay’s offense always has a Super Bowl ceiling with No. 9’s big arm at the controls, but if Stafford can’t stay upright to feed new weapons like Davante Adams, well, there could be big trouble in Los Angeles.

July 22 – “Matthew’s feeling good” but will miss 5 days of practice​

Right as the Rams opened 2025 training camp, McVay prepared us for merely a truncated absence by Matthew Stafford because of “back soreness”. McVay said that the problem “wasn’t anything new” and Stu Jackson reported on the team website that Stafford would return after 5 days.

“Matthew’s feeling good. He had a little bit of soreness in his back that kind of crept up,” McVay said as players reported to Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union. “He’s been throwing, feeling good. It’s not anything that’s necessarily new, something that he’s dealt with before.”

McVay said that during that five-day acclimation period, Stafford will work to the side on his own, “get himself feeling as good as possible,” and then be ready for the second block of training camp, which begins after the conclusion of the acclimation period. In the meantime, Jimmy Garoppolo will step in and handle Stafford’s reps with the first-team offense.

“(Stafford) feels good about that, I feel good about that,” McVay said. “And ultimately, it’s about having him feel as good as possible, mentally, physically, emotionally, going into Year 17.”

McVay also indicated it’s not something he’s concerned about, and that they feel good about Stafford returning to a full practice schedule in that second block of camp.

It is at this point that we’ve now officially entered a period where Sean McVay updates the media on Stafford’s back with information that would indicate a positive update in the near future but several days later the timeline is proved inaccurate. McVay also said of Stafford at the time, “He’s so in tune with his body, and talking with him, I feel really good.”

As pointed out by Blaine Grisak here at TST in article asking if the back was really the non-issue that McVay made it out to be at the time, a very similar narrative was being built around this time in 2022 regarding Stafford’s elbow.

“When you really look at the totality of it, want to try to have him operate in as little as pain as possible. I think anytime that you’ve played as long and are as tough as he is, I don’t know if you’re ever truly pain free.”

Of course, injuries became a huge issue in 2022.

July 24 – “He should be good to go in a couple of days” – McVay​

Talking to Kay Adams at the start of training camp, McVay said that the Rams had always planned to take a “modified approach” to Stafford’s offseason regiment and therefore any concerns about his absence from practice were overblown.

I feel good about it too. You can’t be smart enough with him and going into year 17 we were going to take a modified approach so that he can feel as good physically, mentally, and emotionally anyway. We did that in the offseason, I thought he was awesome. Had a little bit of soreness creep up and so, Reggie (Scott) and Matthew have confirmed that he should be good to go in a couple days.“

Coach Sean McVay says the Rams have a "modified approach" this season when it comes to 17 year NFL veteran, Matthew Stafford. @RamsNFL @UpAndAdamsShow pic.twitter.com/T8XcNkP7iM

— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) July 24, 2025

This was still at the time that McVay insisted that Stafford would probably be back to practice “on Monday”, which is now becoming an infamous day of the week for how often Stafford is not practicing when he’s anticipated to practice.

July 26 – Scratch that, Stafford will actually miss the “second block” of training camp too​

Two days after McVay told Adams that Stafford was about to return to practice and that so far nothing about his absence was unplanned, the Rams coach updated the media to say that back soreness would also keep Stafford out for the second week of practice too. McVay even went as far to literally say that he just misspoke earlier.

McVay clarified his comments by indicating he misspoke at the start of camp and that Stafford’s status will be considered a “week at a time”.

Sean McVay said QB Matthew Stafford (back soreness) will not return to practice on Monday as anticipated. McVay said the Rams will take it a week at a time with Stafford but that the QB did not experience a setback. McVay said the goal remains to have Stafford back for Week 1.

— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) July 26, 2025

Outsiders were still mostly not concerned in late July, taking McVay’s word for it and believing that it was too soon to sound the alarm bells:

On today’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Peter Schrager addressed the status of Matthew Stafford’s back injury.

“I don't think there is a great level of concern as far as Matthew Stafford being ready for Week 1,” Schrager said. “I think the Rams are just being ultra… pic.twitter.com/4XEU12fd1s

— RambLAng Man (@RambLAngMan) July 29, 2025

I’m cautiously optimistic on Matthew Stafford and his back injury.

This guy has the LONGEST injury history I have record of.

Here’s some thoughts, particularly as it pertains to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. https://t.co/HbUm83O5Oq pic.twitter.com/u9ADIUS7OK

— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) July 26, 2025

"I can't stress enough how I still believe in the L.A. Rams as the team to beat in the NFC."@AdamSchein explains why Matthew Stafford's back injury is not concerning for the #Rams heading into the season.

https://t.co/RTimOxppxf pic.twitter.com/OQj8zCpcKY

— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) July 28, 2025

McVay called Stafford “week to week” and said that the end goal was Week 1 against the Texans, basically just glossing over and ignoring previous statements that the quarterback would only miss the first week of training camp. If McVay had said at the start of camp that the Rams were going to consider resting Stafford for most, if not all of the month, then fans wouldn’t have much to question right now. That’s not what happened.

In fact, McVay said that Stafford’s back injury was “not new” despite there being no mention of an aggravated back injury prior to the first announcement in late July that the quarterback would not be throwing or participating in practices as he had been — light practices — in offseason workouts.

Now on July 26th, McVay is saying that this is all part of the planned “modified approach”, while also name-dropping Dr. Bob Watkins. We found out from former NFL QB Matthew Hasselbeck on Tuesday that the only time he gets worried for a quarterback is when he sees Dr. Watkins. He literally said this and had no idea that Stafford has actually seen Watkins (twice) in the last month.

Here is Sean McVay’s full comments on @nflnetwork, on Matthew Stafford https://t.co/nWEfullX59 pic.twitter.com/1g8fwbt6k5

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2025

August 3 – “Saw Dr. Watkins again today. Everything is in good shape.”​

Saying that a quarterback saw the preeminent NFL back specialist for a second time is anything but indicating that the player is “in good shape”.

The Rams have an Aug. 5 joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys and an Aug. 13 practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. Stafford appears unlikely to go in either session.

“The Cowboys, no. The Cowboys, I would say that’s less than likely,” McVay said. “With the Chargers, and I know I’m probably irritating you guys, but it truly is a week-to-week thing and what I don’t want to do is set a timeline. I know he’s making good progress, saw Dr. Watkins again today. Everything is in good shape. But to answer your question, the Cowboys is a no and then we’ll see about the Chargers.”

Stafford of course didn’t participate in anything last week — joint practices, regular practices, or the preseason game (which would have been the case no matter what shape he was in) — and the Chargers joint practices were actually canceled, which McVay indicated was Jim Harbaugh’s decision because of their own injury problems.

August 6 – It gets a name: “Aggravated Disc” and “Epidural treatment”!​

On August 6th, two weeks into training camp — a week longer than McVay’s initial indication of time Stafford would miss — Ian Rapoport tweeted that Stafford received an epidural to treat an aggravated disc. Furthermore, the shot wasn’t that day or the day before, but at least a couple of weeks earlier, meaning around the time that camp started and McVay was hopeful for a short absence. Or at least, telling us that it would be a short absence.

Sources: #Rams QB Matthew Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc and has received an epidural to help him deal with it.

Los Angeles has called him week-to-week, being cautious, but with plans for him to be ready for Week 1. pic.twitter.com/wpj0Uqghax

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 6, 2025

ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported at the time that “this sounds like a maintenance issue where they’re being smart” with Stafford due to his age, and “they feel like if there were a game today, Stafford would be able to play.”

Keep those words from Schefter — six days ago — in mind.

On the same day, PFT’s Mike Florio, with his usual spotty track record of insider info, wrote the words that Stafford’s absence “will soon be ending”.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Stafford is on track to resume working out this week. He’s expected to do on-field work in the coming days.

Florio wrote that the injury happened after the conclusion of the offseason program and that the team simply wants to avoid an in-season relapse.

August 7 – “You’ll see him in practice next week” says McVay​

Keep in mind that this is all BEFORE Stafford’s throwing session on Saturday because it indicates that McVay’s message is that something really crazy would have to happen over the weekend for Stafford to miss the next week of practices. Here’s what he said last Friday:

“The aggravated disc is what led to the sore back. … He’s due to get a good workout in on the day of our preseason game where he’s going to throw,” McVay told reporters. “That was on par with the schedule that we always had. You’ll see him in practice next week. He won’t participate in the Chargers practice (on Aug. 13) just because we’re looking at it like he’s got an acclimation period that will really start on Saturday once we play the Cowboys.”

“You will see him in practice next week.”

It was also at this time that McVay told reporters that if there was a real game that week, Stafford would be playing in it:

“We have taken a very cautious approach, but if we were playing a game this week, he would be playing in the game,” McVay said.

Based on the information we have now, this also appears to be untrue.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford (back) will have a workout on Saturday and if all goes well he will return to practice Monday, Sean McVay says.

McVay emphasizes that if this were a game week, Stafford would be cleared to play.

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) August 7, 2025

August 10 – He’s back! (no pun intended)​

On Sunday, McVay told the media that Stafford threw over 60 passes on Saturday and that he would be back in practice on Monday.

“It was awesome,” McVay said of the scheduled workout Stafford went through on Saturday, in which he estimated Stafford threw 68 passes. “He looked good. He threw the ball really well. There was no limitations in terms of the types of throws – deep, intermediate, short. We were moving the launch point. And he felt really good, and so looking forward to progressing him back into practice on Monday, but it was a good step in the right direction.”

From @NFLGameDay Kickoff: #Rams QB Matthew Stafford (back) is set to practice on Monday, a positive step forward. pic.twitter.com/ByiL5146MT

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 10, 2025

August 11 – He ain’t back (back)​

These hopes and expectations were, of course, crushed when Stafford didn’t practice on Monday.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford (back) didn't feel good this morning and the Rams decided to not have him practice, Sean McVay said. McVay added it isn't clear if Stafford will practice tomorrow if his back feels better in the morning.

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) August 11, 2025

McVay did not try to claim this time that the absence was all part of a plan or a “modified approach” to keep his quarterback out of harm’s way until Week 1. Instead, the coach told the media that the reason for his absence was directly related to “not feeling good” on Monday morning. That mini-timeline would be:

• Saturday: Does “every kind of throw” over 68 attempts and looks/feels great
• Sunday: Will practice on Monday!
• Monday: “Didn’t feel good” in the morning and can’t practice

McVay didn’t go as far to say that he was more worried now, however, instead going with the story that he hopes to have Stafford back on Tuesday. This of course opens the door for fans to be optimistic for a Tuesday return which you know by now would be all for nothing.

I think we’re at the point where we‘re allowed to be a bit panicked about Stafford’s back.

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) August 11, 2025

The question then becomes: Is Sean McVay pulling our strings and hiding the truth from the public or is he also on this rollercoaster of changing stories with Stafford’s back on a day-to-day basis with every dr. visit and throwing session test?

Because let’s make sure everyone is very clear on what has been established during this timeline:

• Offseason workouts: No reported issue
• Post-offseason workouts: Something happens to his back before training camp starts
• Late July: McVay informs media Stafford will only miss 5 days
• Also Late July: Stafford is diagnosed with aggravated disc, has epidural, but this is kept secret from public
• Start of August: Stafford absence extended from one week to two weeks
• Last Friday: Stafford will have a throwing session but “will” return to practice the following week per McVay
• Saturday: Great throwing session
• Sunday: Stafford will be back on Monday, per McVay
• Monday: Stafford is not back, McVay says he could be back Tuesday
• Also Monday: “I don’t know (if Stafford could play in a game today),” per McVay
• Tuesday: Stafford is still not practicing

This is not a situation where the Rams expected Stafford to miss multiple weeks of training camp, let alone possibly the entire training camp, and were prepared for Jimmy Garoppolo to be with the starters for the entire month. At least, that’s not what McVay has told us — directly — that he expected to happen. The only other explanation is that the Rams have been deeply concerned about Stafford’s injury for the past month and don’t want to incite panic by telling fans that they should be panicking…which is exactly what fans would do if they found out that Garoppolo could start Week 1’s game, if not beyond.

And a week after McVay said that Stafford would be ready to play in a game, he backtracked on that line of thinking on Monday:

Rams HC Sean McVay on whether Matthew Stafford could’ve played if there were a game today:

"I don't know about that. I think he still probably would be able to play just based on how he feels."#NBA #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/gUTTywUKDP

— OutOfSightSports (@OOSSports) August 11, 2025

Now he’s backtracking on the severity of Stafford’s injury as it pertains to being able to play. Will McVay next backtrack on the chances of Stafford having back surgery?

I asked Sean McVay if surgery has been ruled out as a possible treatment for Matthew Stafford's back: "That hasn't been a conversation that we've had. … I haven't gone down that road yet in terms of those types of conversations. That hasn't been something that comes up yet."

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) August 11, 2025

August 12 – Stafford out again​

Remember what I said to keep in mind from Schefter, because a week ago he said that he sensed no concerns from the Rams about Stafford’s injury and that he would “be able to play” if a game happened last week. That was less than a week ago. On Tuesday, Schefter’s reporting has taken a noticeable turn although he still claims that the Rams believe he could play right now:

“They thought he’d be back at practice Monday. He wasn’t. They thought he’d be at practice maybe today. He’s not. At some point, there has to be some level of concern that builds up, but it hasn’t yet within the organization. They remain quietly and privately confident that he’s gonna be ready for the regular season opener against the Houston Texans. But now, we are just over three weeks away. He’s 37 years old. It’s a back (injury). Back’s linger. I think it’s problematic, but again, they have not been concerned and they have maintained all along that if there were a game this week, Matthew Stafford would be out there and he would be playing.”

When Dan Orlovsky asks Schefter if this is a pain management issue or a functionality issue, Schefter ponders if it’s a combination of both.

"He's 37 years old. It's a back [injury]. Back's linger. I think it's problematic."

—@AdamSchefter on Matthew Stafford's injury despite the team being unconcerned pic.twitter.com/eipRq1hBbj

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) August 12, 2025

Which leads us into the only thing close to a conclusion that Rams fans can have about Matthew Stafford today:

The absolute BEST CASE SCENARIO for Stafford in 2025 is that he is merely scaring the shit out of you week after week, but ultimately not missing any starts. That’s the BEST case scenario! There is no scenario in which Stafford gets to the season and we’ve all forgotten about this and he’s 100%. That’s no longer realistic despite the fact that two weeks ago, hell maybe even five days ago, many fans and most reporters were under the impression that being fine was exactly what was going to happen with Stafford.

McVay has consistently said that Stafford would be fine, that this was all planned, and he’s said on multiple occasions now — at least 3 — that Stafford would return to practice on a date that turned out to be false:

• McVay said Stafford would return in the second week of training camp, which was wrong.
• Last week, McVay said Stafford would return this week, which was wrong.
• Sunday, McVay said Stafford would return Monday, which was wrong.

It is one thing to say that the Rams have a planned approach with Stafford that keeps him rested for all of training camp and to stick with that plan, but it’s not what has happened. McVay’s “modified approach” for an injury he claimed to know about before training camp didn’t include sitting out every rep. Otherwise, why would he keep giving fans false hope?

There are only two answers:

• The Rams knew Stafford would miss all of training camp up until now and decided to keep that from fans
• The Rams did not know Stafford would miss all of camp until now, in which case this situation keeps getting worse in the eyes of the Rams

The second scenario is the most likely. Which means that Stafford’s back injury is worse today than it was two weeks ago. If it’s worse today, that means it could be worse tomorrow. That means that the Rams do not know what’s going to happen with Stafford, whether it’s surgery or something less severe. That means that fans can’t rely on Stafford’s availability anymore than they can rely on reports about Stafford’s availability.

And we know what that’s worth…

Adam Schefter on Matthew Stafford's status while he deals with a back injury:

"He still hasn’t practiced in training camp but the Rams do not sound concerned. This sounds more like a maintenance issue where they’re being smart with their 37-year-old QB who they feel like doesn’t…

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 5, 2025

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...fford-back-injury-timeline-mcvay-rams-reports

 

[Los Angeles Rams]

Rams must find way to keep Willie Lampkin

The Los Angeles Rams have found success over the past few seasons when it comes to scouting undrafted free agents. Last year, they found linebacker Omar Speights who ended up starting 10 games and made the Rams feel comfortable enough to move on from Ernest Jones. That doesn’t mention another contributor in Jaylen McCollough or past pickups such as Christian Rozeboom and Alaric Jackson.

When it comes to teams finding late-round or undrafted talent during the draft process, few, if any teams has done a better job than the Rams. That positive trend has seemingly continued heading into 2025. While undrafted free agents such as Brennan Presley and Nate Valcarcel certainly impressed in the Rams preseason opener, nobody caught more attention than interior offensive lineman Willie Lampkin.

The preseason can be a difficult time to evaluate as half of the players on the field likely won’t be on an NFL roster come September. While it can be easy to overrate what we see during the preseason, it’s also not something that can be completely written off either. It’s still part of the process and unfortunately it’s the only part that most fans get to see.

However, the preseason might be the most important part of the process for a player like Lampkin. One of the biggest question marks for Lampkin coming into the draft process was his size and more specifically his height. Lampkin is officially listed at 5’11, 290-pounds. While the 290-pounds isn’t necessarily a concern, there’s a reason there aren’t many offensive linemen under six feet tall. To say the least, Lampkin is an anomaly.

Still, throughout the week of Senior Bowl practices, Lampkin showed that he belonged. Brandon Thorn who is one of the best at evaluating offensive lineman said about Lampkin,

“Lampkin is an all-time outlier in terms of height and weight, but those traits are balanced out by his closer to average wingspan and big hands. Regardless of his measurables, Lampkin’s 2024 tape was objectively excellent, and he more than held his own at the Senior Bowl.”

In Thorn’s draft profile of Lampkin, he wrote,

“Lampkin is a leverage monster in the run game with a refined skill set and a keen understanding of how to stick on blocks. He can hold the point in the post on double teams, strain, and wall-off rush lanes when isolated on drive blocks and regularly intersects targets on pulls and climbs. Once latched, Lampkin is a chore to shed due to his tremendous ability to fit, clench, and take away space for defenders to operate.”

Every Willie Lampkin 1-on-1 from the Senior Bowl pic.twitter.com/wCk8UPeUjq

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 30, 2025

Despite showing out at the Senior Bowl, Lampkin was not given an invite to the NFL Combine. Despite being arguably a top-75 talent, teams didn’t take the risk during the draft and he went undrafted. The fact is, despite Lampkin showing otherwise, teams weren’t sure if he could hold up on the interior in the NFL. There was some thought that Lampkin may need to be moved into a Patrick Ricard type fullback role.

However, as he has since he began the draft process, Lampkin has continually proven his doubters wrong. Among interior offensive linemen with at least 32 snaps, Lampkin was the second-highest graded overall player via PFF with a grade of 94.1. Only Joe Huber of the Minnesota Vikings was better. He had the third-highest run-blocking grade and did not allow a single pressure in pass protection.

This is a player that the NFL had questions about coming in and while it was mostly against bottom-of-the-roster players, he still showed that he belonged. There is now tape out there showing that Lampkin can hold his own against bigger players.

Nothing to see here…just Willie Lampkin serving up in the run game.

The Rams may have found a good one. pic.twitter.com/maTqcAukfL

— Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakTST) August 11, 2025

That’s one reason why the Rams have to find a way to keep Lampkin on the roster. This was a player that nobody in the NFL thought was worth taking a chance on during the draft because of his size. Every single team, including the Rams to an extent, didn’t select him because he was a size anomaly. Now that he has good tape, it’s hard to see Lampkin sneaking through waivers if the Rams were to cut him. In a league that is desperate for good offensive line play and depth, a team with a need on the interior would most certainly jump on him.

This is also a player that has become one of the biggest stories in the media after his performance against the Cowboys. Lampkin was mentioned on the Pat McAfee show as part of his “All-Bruh Team”. Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson of The 33rd Team listed Lampkin on their top-5 preseason rookie debut lists. That doesn’t even mention the clips circulating on social media showing Lampkin’s impact in the run game and serving pancakes to Cowboys’ defensive linemen.

Top-5 preseason debuts from @StevePalazzolo_ and @SamMonsonNFL.

Making an appearance in both lists….Rams undrafted rookie iOL Willie Lampkin. pic.twitter.com/JWzPU2WJcI

— Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakTST) August 12, 2025

Given the talent level and media publicity that Lampkin has received, this isn’t a player that the Rams are going to be able to quietly stash on the practice squad after roster cutdowns. In the NFL, teams can never have too many good offensive linemen, and Lampkin is a player worth keeping around to develop.

The decisions that the Rams are going to have to make on the offensive line will be difficult. This is a group in which the top-eight spots are pretty much locked up:

• Starters: Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein
• Depth: DJ Humphries, Warren McClendon, Beaux Limmer

That leaves Lampkin competing with Dylan McMahon, KT Leveston, Justin Dedich, and David Quessenberry for one or two spots on the offensive line depending on how many the Rams keep. Leveston may have a clear path as the only player with guard-tackle versatility. However, McMahon also seems to be a player that the Rams like as he didn’t play in the preseason and was claimed off of waivers last year after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Still, players like Dedich, Leveston, and McMahon may have a better chance of making it through waivers and landing back on the Rams practice squad. While unfortunate, Lampkin’s path to the roster also becomes easier initially in the case that Alaric Jackson begins the season on PUP/IR.

Throughout the Sean McVay and Les Snead era, the Rams scouting team hasn’t prioritized size when it comes to acquiring talent, especially in the draft process. It’s how the Rams ended up with Aaron Donald in 2014 and most of their offensive linemen are considered shorter than the norm. Saying Lampkin will succeed because Aaron Donald did is a poor comparison.

However, outside of height, Lampkin fits what the Rams have drafted on the interior. Lampkin actually fits somewhat comparably to what the Rams currently have in Coleman Shelton. Both are close to 290-pounds and Shelton’s official arm-length pre-draft was 31.5-inches, which is the same as Lampkin. Lampkin and Shelton also recorded very similar speed times which is especially notable in the 10-yard split which is a good indicator of their ability to quickly generate power and leverage.

It’s far too early to say whether or not Lampkin could be a future starter on the Rams offensive line, but at the very least he’s quality depth that has the ability to play all three interior positions. Limmer may be the current favorite to take over for Shelton at center, but Lampkin provides some good competition once that time arrives.

Over the past few seasons, this is a team that has had to rely on offensive line depth. Justin Dedich started three games last year at left guard in place of Avila. Lampkin is arguably an upgrade over Dedich and is good depth to have. Finding a way to keep Lampkin on the roster could end up paying dividends when it matters most.

Source: https://www.turfshowtimes.com/los-a...24604/rams-preseason-standouts-willie-lampkin