The Los Angeles Rams' all-in approach for the 2026 season could backfire if things don't go their way.
The Los Angeles Rams are aiming to be the final team standing when the 2026 season is all said and done.
The Rams have built a formidable squad this offseason that could get them there, and have maintained the core players that nearly got them to the big show in 2025. However, the offseason spending could backfire in a major way if the end result is not a Super Bowl victory.
A lot of things need to go right for Los Angeles to make it all the way, but a major issue for the team that has been corrected is in the cornerback position. There is no doubt that the Rams upgraded their cornerback position by adding Super Bowl champion and All-Pro Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, but their large contracts could pose a bigger long-term problem.
On paper, they've bolstered that position group; however, they gave up major draft capital in order to get there. Los Angeles traded away their own first-round pick, No. 29, to Kansas City while holding onto the 13th pick, which it acquired from Atlanta to drop from 26th to 46th in the 2025 draft.
It is a major gamble by the Rams, and only time will determine whether it pays off. One NFL executive viewed the move as particularly risky, noting the year-to-year volatility and difficulty that comes with the cornerback position.
"Corner is a position where even for the top guys, it’s hard to be consistent year over year,"an NFL exec said.
However, the NFL executive did go on to say that he loves the Rams aggressive approach. He emphasized that adding size and physicality to the secondary was a major priority for a Rams team that struggled in that department last season.
The additions of McDuffie and Watson could be key, as they have built chemistry in their time together in Kansas City.
One other executive pointed to the fact that the Rams have yet to take care of their in-house talent from their 2023 draft class.
"They have not extended any of their young core. It’s going to be very interesting what happens there if it doesn’t work."
The expectation is that the Rams will focus on extending many of their core players, like Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Puka Nacua, after the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, it's not as simple as it sounds. The Rams will do their best to navigate high salary cap figures for these upcoming extensions. The biggest name eligible for an extension is Nacua.
The Rams are set to make him the highest-paid wide receiver in league history. While that is said to be the case, there are some off-the-field issues plaguing Nacua. The expectation is that the civil lawsuit he is dealing with won't affect his extension, but it all remains to be seen.
Adding talent like McDuffie and Watson was going to come with a high price, and it did. However, the Rams decided to also award McDuffie a four-year, $124 million extension. This pays him $31 million per year, which is now the record.
Watson also did not come cheaply, as he was given a three-year, $51 million deal. With those contracts taking effect, and the Rams potentially paying Nacua at the top of the wide receiver position, the other awaiting extensions could run into some trouble.
If Los Angeles fails to make the Super Bowl and, in turn, sees many contracts come due, the all-in gamble may lead to another repeat of the 2020 season, but this time without a championship victory to show for it.