The Rams Aren’t Done Yet: Why 2026 Could Be Another Super Bowl Year
Just five years ago, the Rams went all in on their path to win a Super Bowl. Letting go of multiple first-round picks, the Rams assembled an absolute squad. Headlined by one of the best single-season receiving seasons in NFL history. You would think that a team that potentially sold its future for a chip would be hurting right now, but the Rams have defied all odds. After having only one losing season in 2022, the Rams have made the playoffs in each of the three seasons since. Coming off a deep playoff round in 2025, can the Rams punch their ticket back to the big game in 2026?
Laying the Foundation
The 2000s Rams haven’t been the best team in the NFL, often finding themselves at the bottom of the pick. Before 2017, the team was on a 13-year playoff drought. Running into numerous challenges headlined by the unfortunate 2010 first overall pick, Sam Bradford. The Bradford era in what was then St. Louis had been a disaster by all accounts. The Bradford era came to an end in 2016, when in their new home in Los Angeles, the Rams took another quarterback with the first overall pick. The Rams, having just moved to LA, decided to move up in the 2016 draft to draft their second quarterback in six years, Jared Goff. Unfortunately, 2016 was another horrid year for the Rams, finishing 4-12 and missing their 2017 first-round pick. The upper brass had had enough and fired longtime head coach Jeff Fisher. The Rams hired Sean McVay, making him the youngest NFL head coach in modern history.
The McVay era in Los Angeles defied all expectations. Despite being one of the league’s worst teams in 2016, they turned around, finishing 11-5. In their first year under their new head coach, the Rams won the NFC West, made the playoffs for the first time since 2004, and McVay won the Coach of the Year Award in his first season as a head coach. Things only looked up from there; the Rams would make a Super Bowl run in 2018. 2019 was a down year for them, as they missed the playoffs. In 2020, they made the playoffs again but failed to move past the Wild Card Round.
Coming into 2021, the Rams were looking to make a big move to get them over the hump. For the second time in six years, and the third time in 12 years, LA made another huge move for a quarterback. Instead of looking at the draft, this time they decided to go after a proven veteran. Trading two first-round picks and Goff, the Rams acquired Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford immediately impacted the team, turning them into one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. With Stafford, Cooper Kupp became the first Triple Crown Winner in 16 years, and the Rams won a Super Bowl.
After their Super Bowl victory, it looked as though it was time to pay the piper. After multiple veteran players retired or moved to other teams, the roster quickly became thin. The season went so badly that Stafford contemplated retirement after severe back problems ended his season, and McVay considered stepping down and starting a career in media. Fortunately, Les Snead took control and righted the ship. After multiple impressive drafts without a first-round pick, the roster had become competitive again just one year later. The Rams then made the playoffs back-to-back, advancing each year.
The Rams Return to Dominance in 2025
The Rams maintained relevance thanks to superb drafting. Starting in 2022, Los Angeles took running back Kyren Williams in the fifth round. After missing most of his rookie season due to injury, he returned in 2023 as the starter. He fit perfectly into McVay’s offense, going for 1,000 rushing yards in three consecutive seasons and capturing a Pro Bowl appearance. 2023 was another great draft for the Rams. Picking up eventual starters in outside linebacker Byron Young, who was named to a Pro Bowl in 2025, and Kobie Turner, who started 17 games in 2025. The real surprise from the 2023 draft was receiver Puka Nacua. Taken in the fifth round, Nacua had a breakout rookie year, breaking the rookie receptions record with 105. They continue on their roll in 2024, drafting three starters in the first three rounds and starting with Jared Verse, who won the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and was named to a Pro Bowl, all in his rookie season. Braden Fiske went next, who has become a starter and started 16 games in 2025. To cap off their run, they selected running back Blake Corum in the third round. Corum played an important change-of-pace role for the offense, serving as a perfect complement to Williams. I’m sure there are some more gems from these drafts, but these are some of the obvious ones.
With an elite team, the majority of whom were on rookie contracts, the Rams were in position to win the NFC West once again. The team made a crucial signing in the 2025 offseason. Kupp began to decline shortly after his historic 2021 season, due to multiple knee injuries. LA decided to move on from Kupp and signed Davante Adams to replace him. Adams paired with Nacua to make one of the best receiving duos in the league immediately. The Rams were one of the most potent offenses in 2025, paired with a solid defense. Quickly, those rose the rankings, dominating teams week in and week out. Despite how good they were, they ran into some difficulties after the midpoint. Losing a close and crucial game to the Seahawks, and surprising upsets from the Panthers and the Falcons. The Rams tied for second with the 49ers in the NFC West, the most competitive division in 2025.
Despite the bump, they cruised into a playoff spot. Playing close games throughout the playoffs, the Rams beat the Panthers in the Wild Card Round. They moved on to play the rapidly ascending Bears in the Divisional round, winning a nail-biter in overtime. LA ran into their divisional rival, the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks, in the NFC Championship game. After another heart-racing game, the Rams fell to the Seahawks 31-27, ending their season. Stafford won his first Most Valuable Player Award, Nacua was named to his second All-Pro team, and Adams led the league in receiving touchdowns. A successful season by all accounts. Heading into 2026, the Rams have once again pushed their chips all in.
Time to Run It Back
In 2025, the Falcons traded back into the first round to get one of their big names. In exchange, the Rams received the Falcons' 2026 first-round pick. The pick would become the 13th pick in the 2026 draft, leaving the Rams with two first-round picks, the other being the 29th. LA decided to get active, trading their 29th pick to the Chiefs for All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie. The corner was on the Rams' biggest weaknesses, which they immediately addressed. McDuffie and LA quickly reached an agreement on a humongous contract extension that would keep him in LA for the next four years, with $100 million guaranteed. The Rams also signed fellow Chiefs corner Jaylen Watson, locking up more corner depth.
With the draft looming in the near future, the Rams still have the 13th pick. There have been rumors that they are pursuing Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, which would more than likely lead to Adams' release. Brown would be an upgrade, as good as Adams was. He’s younger and would likely excel in the Rams' pass-happy offense. 2026 is a deep receiver class with multiple receivers predicted to go in the first 20 picks alone. They could look to add more youth at the position and organically create an elite young receiving duo with Nacua. The possibility also exists that they can trade up or down depending on the board. Corum tore his ACL late in the 2025 season, which should sideline him for the majority of 2026, if not all of it. Securing another young running back would keep the room fresh and flush with talent when Corum comes back. Another possibility that exists for the Rams is to find Stafford’s successor. It’s no secret that Stafford is in the final seasons of his career; he also flirted with retirement in 2022. 2026 isn’t the deepest quarterback class, but there are still some elite players who would benefit greatly from a year behind Stafford. Paired with an offensive genius like McVay, the next quarterback in LA could be an all-time one. Regardless, the Rams are entering 2026 in one of the best positions in the league.
