What Are the Rams Biggest Question Marks Heading Into 2025?
The Rams are heading into this season with a team that feels both loaded and unpredictable. They have stars, young talent, and a coach who’s proven he can win it all. However, there are still things that make you wonder. The team started last season 1–4 and went 9–3 the rest of the way. So, what will this team look like when it all comes together? If it comes together, how far can they go? Let’s look at some of the biggest question marks heading into the 2025 season.
How Davante Adams and Puka Nacua Can Fit Together
There has been a lot of curiosity around how Davante Adams and Puka Nacua will mesh this season, but it already feels like a duo that could work well. Adams was added this offseason and still looks like he has plenty left in the tank. He can open up the field and get separation in big moments. His availability also says a lot, as he has played in 48 of the last 50 regular-season games. That is something the Rams have struggled with when it comes to their top receivers, particularly last season.
Nacua became a breakout star during the Rams’ down season in 2023 and has continued to grow throughout 2024. He missed the beginning of last season after going down in Week One with a PCL sprain and was placed on injured reserve. With his return, from Weeks Eight through 17, he totaled 955 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and averaged 12.7 yards per reception. Both players bring something different, and that might be exactly what the Rams need. Adams is a seasoned route runner who draws attention from defenders, and Nacua is explosive after the catch and seems to have built natural chemistry with Stafford. If both stay healthy, they could be one of the most productive duos in the league.
Stafford’s Health and Garoppolo’s Reps
Matthew Stafford is entering his seventeenth year and has not practiced for the second straight week in training camp due to back soreness. Coach Sean McVay has made it clear that they are taking a cautious approach. In 2018, Stafford suffered multiple fractures in his spine after playing against his current team while with Detroit, where he was sacked 11 times. So it’s understandable why the Rams want to remain on the side of caution. Stafford is expected to be ready for the Rams’ opener on September 7th against the Houston Texans, but the team is not taking any chances.
Stafford threw for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. He remains productive when on the field, but injuries have followed him since joining the Rams. That includes a spinal cord contusion in 2022, a thumb injury in 2023, rib issues in 2024, and now back pain in 2025. The Rams have now leaned on Jimmy Garoppolo during camp, who is familiar with Adams from their time together in Las Vegas. McVay said the team is doing what is best for Stafford and that this break gives valuable reps to both Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. Whether Stafford can stay healthy through a full season is one of the biggest unknowns.
Will the Young Players Keep Breaking Out?
Jared Verse shocked a lot of people last season and ended up winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. He is now viewed as a defensive leader heading into his second season. His energy continues to stand out in camp, and he pushes the players around him. Safety Kam Kinchens, the 99th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is another name trending up. He didn’t start last season off particularly strong, but from Weeks 13 through 18, he started to come into his own and has since been ranked 20th among safeties going into the 2025 season, according to PFF. In his second year, the expectation is for Kinchens to build on that and become the clear full-time starter in the secondary.
Other names to watch include Blake Corum, who was the 83rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Coach McVay said, “He's done a really good job. I thought he had some excellent runs today. I think he's had a really good camp.” Corum could take on a bigger role at running back and become a solid contributor. The Rams have built a strong young core through the draft. They’ve patched holes in the defense, developed key contributors on offense, and might be one of the biggest threats in the NFC if things click. The window is open. It just comes down to how ready they are to walk through it.
The Rams are no longer in a rebuilding phase. They have closed the gap. The talent is there, so the next step is staying healthy, continuing to develop their young core, and building the team's chemistry. The Super Bowl window feels open again. The next few weeks should give us a much clearer picture of whether this team is ready to take that step.
