The Rams had a rocky start to the 2024 season filled with injuries before making the playoffs and winning their division for the first time since 2021. The Rams were led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay once again and beat the Vikings in the wild card round before losing to the Eagles in the divisional round 28-22. The Rams had another great season but with Stafford aging and the roster needing some improvements the team headed into the offseason knowing they needed to improve.

>GET DEALS ON L.A. RAMS TICKETS NOW!

The biggest move of the offseason was signing wide receiver Davante Adams from the Jets. Adams had 1,063 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2024 despite being traded from the Raiders to the Jets midseason. Adams pairs up with Puka Nacua to form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL adding even more weapons to their offense. The Rams also signed other free agents like defensive lineman Poona Ford, center Coleman Shelton and linebacker Nate Landman. They also had some departures including offensive lineman Jonah Jackson who was traded to the Chicago Bears. Also wide receiver Cooper Kupp, defensive tackle Bobby Brown III and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore left in free agency.

The Rams went into the NFL draft without a first round pick and didn’t pick until the second round where they selected tight end Terrance Ferguson out of Oregon. Ferguson adds to the tight end position where the Rams have been thin for the last couple of seasons. They also drafted linebacker Josiah Stewart, running back Jarquez Hunter, defensive tackle Ty Hamilton, linebacker Chris Paul Jr. and wide receiver Konata Mumpfield.

The Rams are in a position to be competing for the Super Bowl next season and will have an easier path than most with the 17th hardest schedule in the NFL. The Rams host the Houston Texans week one before taking on the first overall pick Cam Ward and the Titans in week two. The biggest game of the season will come in week three however against the Philadelphia Eagles, who ended the Rams season last year and won the Super Bowl. Some of the other key games for the Rams include vs. the Ravens, 49ers, Buccaneers, Lions and Seahawks.

LOS ANGELES RAMS SCHEDULE & TICKET DEALS

• Week 1: Sept. 7 vs. Houston Texans (SoFi Stadium)
• Week 2: Sept. 14 at Tennessee Titans
• Week 3: Sept. 21 at Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Indianapolis Colts
• Week 5: Oct. 2 vs. San Francisco 49ers (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 6: Oct. 12 at Baltimore Ravens
• Week 7: Oct. 19 at Jacksonville Jaguars (London – International Series)
• Week 8: Bye Week
• Week 9: Nov. 2 vs. New Orleans Saints
• Week 10: Nov. 9 at San Francisco 49ers
• Week 11: Nov. 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Week 12: Nov. 23 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday Night Football)
• Week 13: Nov. 30 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 14: Dec. 7 at Arizona Cardinals
• Week 15: Dec. 14 vs. Detroit Lions
• Week 16: Dec. 18 at Seattle Seahawks (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 17: Dec. 29 at Atlanta Falcons (Monday Night Football)
• Week 18: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams Season/Game Odds

Los Angeles opens the season with +2200 odds of winning the Super Bowl for the first time since 2021. They also have +1000 odds of winning the NFC championship and open the season as -3 point favorites at home vs the Texans. 

The publisher receives a commission for links in this story. 

It was the final few minutes of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Browns when, suddenly, quarterback Shedeur Sanders was benched.

Sanders was recently drafted during the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the 144th pick in the fifth round – a surprising result because he was expected to be picked in the first round. Since then, he has had a good preseason with the Browns. During the game against the Rams, he attempted six passes, of which only three were completed, resulting in a total of 14 yards gained.

In Sanders’ debut the previous week, he far exceeded the team’s expectations.

In early August, Sanders suffered an oblique strain injury while they were practicing. This result led him to miss the second NFL preseason game in which the Browns beat the Eagles.

Sanders seemed unaware that he had been benched. Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski decided to play Tyler Huntley, who had just signed with the team earlier this month.

Once Sanders realized that he was being benched, he walked toward his coach and asked him to let him play the final minutes. Sanders was seen frustrated when his coach would not let him go back in.

What does all of this mean to Sanders’ career? Sanders is expected to make the final roster as the fourth quarterback. He is under a four-year contract with the team, and he will likely serve as a backup player. The injury that he sustained at the beginning of the month set back his career aspirations.

As the NFL season begins in early September, it presents a new opportunity for Sanders to secure more playing time and defend his position. The first game of the NFL that the Cleveland Browns will play is against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.

The Seattle Seahawks have had a bustling offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. They traded quarterback Geno Smith and star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, released wide receiver Tyler Lockett, and quickly went to work filling those voids in the starting offense, which included signing top free agent quarterback Sam Darnold.

Now, they’ve added another big-name free agent to their roster: wide receiver Cooper Kupp, best known for a stellar 2021 season with the Los Angeles Rams that saw him break regular-season and postseason records, winning the Triple Crown and culminating in his being named Super Bowl MVP.

Kupp, 31, hasn’t lived up to those standards of production since his breakout season, due in part to an ankle surgery in 2022. He posted 710 yards and six touchdowns on 67 receptions last season.

He was released by the Rams on Wednesday, allowing them to escape part of his $20 million cap hit. Two days later, he signed with the Seahawks, on a three-year, $45 million deal.

Kupp gets to return home to Washington, where he grew up and attended school. The Seahawks, meanwhile, begin to fill their void at wide receiver. Kupp will likely assume a more fitting supplemental role in Seattle, backing up Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who posted 1,130 yards in his second season last year.

There is concern, however, that the Seahawks’ offseason additions won’t make up for the talent lost. It’ll be up to head coach Mike Macdonald to determine how to use his two top receivers (both traditionally slot receivers) to benefit a system centered around Darnold.

The whole NFL is watching – and with this many question marks, things could get ugly fast.

The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback room has been a revolving door for the past two seasons.

It began when they released mainstay Derek Carr (who has also now been released by the New Orleans Saints). Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and even Desmond Ridder all took snaps in the 2024 season, none with particular success. And now the Raiders find themselves in the same situation as an offseason ago, searching for a bona fide starting quarterback.

The team’s 4-13 record looks nicer than it felt, bolstered by two late-season wins that took them out of the running for the first few draft picks. Picking sixth, the Raiders were all but consigned to finding a quarterback through free agency – where they were reportedly targeting Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was granted permission to discuss with other teams amid a turbulent contract renegotiation.

The offseason courting process is generally a straightforward one. Through a serendipitous and still-murky series of events, though, the Raiders’ quest for Stafford may have become quite nontraditional.

Fox Sports insider Jordan Schultz reported on Wednesday that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady had “hosted [Stafford] at his home in Montana, where they spent time together and went skiing,” presumably as a part of the Raiders’ “aggressive” pursuit of Stafford. The report raised resistance – alternate reports called the meeting “unplanned” and “an Internet rumor” – along with scrutiny about potential tampering.

The Raiders were reportedly willing to give Stafford $90 to $100 million, and Brady was indisputably a part of the “strong pitch” they offered. As it turns out, though, any of the Raiders’ alleged tactics have fallen by the wayside. Stafford, who agreed to a restructured deal with Los Angeles on Friday, isn’t heading to Vegas.

Despite their dismal last couple seasons, the Raiders continue to insist they’re in ‘win-now’ mode. With Stafford off the table, the temperature is only increasing for the team to secure a viable quarterback – or resign themselves to another year of flat mediocrity.

The New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers are going their separate ways, with New York bringing in a new staff to find another path forward. Rodgers reportedly still wants to play in the NFL, and his list of suitors seems to be narrowing by the day.

After a lot of supposed discussion about quarterback shuffling, the Los Angeles Rams have emerged as a surprising front runner to sign Rodgers. This seems like a puzzling move for the team on paper, but the rumors have persisted. The Rams have long been reported to be seeking offers for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Shifting gears from Stafford to Rodgers seems counterintuitive, as Stafford led Los Angeles to the playoffs last year while Rodgers wallowed in New York. The Rams seem intent on avoiding a long-term deal for Stafford, however. Instead of seeking a younger talent, Los Angeles could instead be looking for ways to maximize results for the current roster with someone more experienced like Rodgers.

Beyond the Rams, the Steelers and Raiders remain logical contenders to consider Rodgers. Both teams have very uncertain quarterback situations entering the 2025 season. Pittsburgh is stuck between veteran Russell Wilson and struggling upstart Justin Fields. Las Vegas has no clear path whatsoever. That being said, it would be just as logical for either team to pursue Stafford, a marginally younger passer coming off a better season with less baggage off the field. He would also cost more to sign, which could be a determining factor in Rodgers’ favor.

The Colts and Titans also stand out as struggling teams that would assume the risk of signing Rodgers. The Vikings are the most entertaining on the list of teams in quarterback limbo. If Rodgers went to Minnesota, many have pointed out that his career would closely mirror that of Brett Favre, his mentor on the Green Bay Packers at the start of his career.

From a statistical standpoint, Rodgers did not perform as poorly as the Jets’ record last season suggests. They did lose multiple games as a direct result of his inability to deliver in crunch-time. These struggles, combined with his boisterous persona off the field, make him an extremely volatile option for any team in the league, regardless of their current situation.

With the Los Angeles Rams opening the trade market for veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp, some have begun to wonder how far the team will go to part with aging stars. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has very little guaranteed money in the last two years of his current contract, an issue that may require Los Angeles to take action in the next few months.

It is more than likely that the Rams will do what they need to do to hang on to their franchise quarterback, as the 37-year-old continues to perform at an elite level under center. Los Angeles is not in a good position to immediately find a new quarterback.

On the other hand, if the Rams did begin fielding offers for Stafford, it’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t receive interest. The Steelers and Giants have both been named as potential buyers, as both teams are building young rosters without a definite answer at quarterback. 

Pittsburgh snuck into the playoffs with an aging Russell Wilson and struggling Justin Fields but went no further in 2024, while New York is likely looking toward the upcoming draft to end months of aimlessness under center. Both teams would instantly improve with Stafford on the roster, despite his limited long-term value.

With young stars Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua slowly working into the primes of their careers, Los Angeles must decide now if they’re rebuilding or maintaining the status quo. As things stand, Los Angeles is a perennial playoff contender, and Nacua has come along so quickly as the star wideout that trading away Kupp hardly feels like a loss. 

There’s no one to replace Stafford, however. Keeping him for the final years of his career could cost the team several crucial seasons. Parting with him and entering a misguided rebuild would have the same effect.

Devastating wildfires in southern California may impact the NFL Playoffs this weekend, as the league is closely monitoring developments in the area ahead of a Wild Card matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. If the natural disaster proves to be a credible threat to public safety, the league could move the game from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. 

“The NFL’s priority is the safety of the Los Angeles community. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the first responders. Our hearts are with Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires,” the league said in a statement Wednesday. “We continue to prepare to play the Vikings-Rams game as scheduled Monday night at SoFi Stadium.”

The league did not specify what would be necessary for the playoff game to be relocated, but the contingency plan to move it to Glendale will be set in motion “in the event a change in location is needed.”

The first wildfire began in the Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and is still raging, covering more than 17,000 acres of land and destroying thousands of structures to this point. Authorities have not yet been able to contain the fire in any capacity. At least four smaller wildfires have spread to surrounding areas, forcing more than 125,000 people to evacuate throughout the city.

Based in Inglewood, SoFi Stadium is located about 10 miles south of the current impacted areas, but powerful winds could spread the fires further. This is not the only obstacle the league must overcome to host its playoff game as planned. Air quality is also a serious issue to consider, as players and fans alike may have to face adverse conditions regardless of damage in the area if the fires are not contained by Monday. 

Several Rams players have issued statements to support Los Angeles residents and vow to assist in the recovery effort. Anna Kupp, wife of star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, said that the family’s home was still safe and offered prayers for those impacted.

“Our hearts are so heavy,” Anna Kupp said. “Cooper and I are currently looking into ways we can help those who have been affected by this tragedy. Until then, we continue to pray for peace and safekeeping over the families who have suffered so much already, prayer for our heroes actively fighting these fires, and prayer for the winds to subside and the land to heal. We love you LA.”

In 2003, the NFL had to relocate a playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins to Tempe, Arizona, because of wildfires. Competing in a neutral location, the Chargers lost 26-10. They have since relocated to Los Angeles, and reportedly altered their practice schedule this week due to air quality concerns as they prepare for their own playoff game in Houston on Saturday.

Subscribe to uInterview’s free weekly email for the latest news & exclusive videos!

Let us know what you think of the story in the comments below – join the conversation!

The injury news for the 0-2 Los Angeles Rams continues to get worse as WR Cooper Kupp left Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals in a walking boot before ESPN reported that he would miss time with a high ankle sprain. On Monday, head coach Sean McVay did not put a timeline on the injury but mentioned his All-Pro wide-out would miss multiple weeks.

“I don’t want to put any expectations on — I know he’s going to want to be back as soon as he can, but I don’t want to put any expectations or unnecessary things on him. He’s going to do everything in his power to get back, whenever that is.”

ESPN also reported on Thursday that Kupp would not go on injured reserve, which would cause him to miss at least four games. This increased optimism that he could be back in a few weeks.

The Rams will be counting down the days until Kupp re-takes the field as their injury issues continue to mount. Along with Kupp, second-year WR Puka Nacua went on IR with a nagging lower-body injury that has bothered him since camp. McVay’s team also misses three of its top five offensive linemen with various alignments, placing two on IR. Veteran pass-catchers Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson will be the starting WRs on Sunday.

Coming off of a Wild Card berth last season, the Rams were expected to make the playoffs and push the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC West title. However, Los Angeles does not look like the same group as last year after getting blown out by the Arizona Cardinals on the road last Sunday. For the Rams to avoid falling to 0-3, they must beat the 49ers in San Francisco, where Hard Rock Bet lists McVay’s team as a touchdown underdog.

To add insult to injury, Sean McVay announced on Monday that the Los Angeles Rams placed second-year wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games from a PCL sprain in his knee. Nacua battled injuries during the off-season, specifically knee problems, and tried to continue to play on Sunday after initially leaving the field due to injury before calling it quits.

McVay also announced that center Steve Avila and left tackle Joe Noteboom would be placed on IR. Avila, entering his second season, picked up an MCL sprain that held him out for the second half against the Lions, and Noteboom will miss time with an ankle. The Rams struggled to keep a ferocious Detroit pass rush off quarterback Matthew Stafford, and an offensive line held together with string must find an answer to slow down the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown this weekend.

Mcvay gave context to the ailments at his press conference on Monday.

“Each of those three guys have unique injuries that, as of right now, it could keep them out longer than that. And so we’ll see,” he said. “Let’s not place expectations on when they’re going to come back, because these guys are so conscientious. Let’s allow them to be ready to go whenever their body says, and when the doctors do say. I know they’re going to accelerate it and be ready as quickly as possible.”

Nacua broke multiple records in his rookie season with 105 receptions and 1,486 receiving yards, becoming the perfect running mate next to Cooper Kupp and another weapon for Stafford to throw to. The Rams lost in the Wild Card round to the Lions lost season and start 2024 on the wrong foot with an 0-1 record in the competitive NFC West.

There is never a dull moment in the NFL off-season.

Even when the kickoff of the season’s first game does not happen for over 100 days, the politicking and grandstanding never switch off, and Matthew Stafford heated up the rumor mill this week.

The Rams quarterback made it clear to Les Snead and the front office that he wants more guaranteed money for the final two years of his deal. While the Super Bowl champion signed a four-year $160 million deal a couple of years ago, the language in the contract makes it easy for Los Angeles to move off him without creating much dead cap space. The former Georgia quarterback turned 36 years old in February and has dealt with injuries, making it even more critical for him to restructure his contract.

Although he feels concerned about his professional life off the field, he did not let it interfere with the Rams’ title hopes on it. Unlike most players with contract disputes, Stafford chose to attend the start of the voluntary OTAs in May. Los Angeles fell to Detroit in the Wild Card last season and is playing its first year without future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald to anchor its defense.

The signal-callers sentiment could have also begun after seeing new deals for quarterbacks across the league. The Lions just gave Jared Goff a four-year, $212 million, a quarterback that the Rams traded away to get Stafford on their team. Kirk Cousins also received four years and $180 million with $100 million guaranteed from the Atlanta Falcons when he hit the market during free agency last March. Cousins is only a year younger than Stafford but without much postseason success, so his deal could be looked at as one of two sides base their negotiations on.

Head coach Sean McVay spoke to reporters yesterday and will keep all contract conversations “private” and “in-house.”

Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will reportedly visit the Miami Dolphins before the 2024 season. If Beckham signs with Mike McDaniel’s squad, it would be his fifth team since he joined the league in 2014.

After winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams at the end of the 2021 season, Beckham did not sign with anyone in the 2022 season while he dealt with an ACL injury he sustained in the championship game.

“One quote I’d always lived by was ‘‘you’re only as good as your last game,’” Beckham said before last season. “It could be up for debate, but I think I was well on the way to being MVP in that game and it’s just the type of mentality I have.”

The receiver was not done playing and signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Though he said that the team was the best one he had ever played for entering the playoffs, Baltimore lost in the AFC Championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs.

It is unclear how much playing time Beckham would receive if he signed with Miami, as the team already enjoys a luxury of options at the wide receiver position. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have spent the past few seasons cultivating the fastest offense in football, which would likely relegate Beckham to a veteran locker-room presence.

During his season in Baltimore, an organization more in need of veteran receivers, Beckham only caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season. His contributions in the playoffs were also diminutive, though the 31-year-old receiver was never expected to contribute as he did as an All-Pro talent for the Giants in the 2010s.

Between his successful career in New York and his latest stints in Los Angeles and Baltimore, Beckham spent the better part of three seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2019 to 2021. Beckham struggled with injuries during his tenure there and the team did very little of note.

Jimmy Garoppolo took the blame this week for a PED violation earlier this off-season, admitting that he misinterpreted the rules and failed a test legitimately while he was on the Las Vegas Raiders last season. Garoppolo, who has since signed with the Los Angeles Rams, will serve a two-game suspension to begin the 2024 season.

According to ESPN, the NFL claims that Garoppolo violated the PED policy by “using a prescribed medication without having a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption.” Garoppolo has reportedly accepted these accusations.

“I hate to joke about it, but I just messed up the T.U.E. when I first got to Las Vegas. … Bad timing, I guess,” Garoppolo said.

The quarterback’s lighthearted response to the suspension is likely due to its short duration and the nature of his offense, which seemed accidental. Garoppolo was almost certainly getting released by the Raiders anyway, as the team managed to save around $10 million in cap space by nullifying his guaranteed contract for the coming season.

The Rams already have starting quarterback Matthew Stafford under contract through at least the 2025 season, so Garoppolo will merely serve as a quality backup in Los Angeles. The 33-year-old signed a one-year deal for $4.5 million.

Garoppolo went to Las Vegas after five full seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he lifted the team back to relevancy but also dealt with a number of injuries. His lone season as a Raider was less fortuitous, as he started in just six games for a team that quickly fell out of playoff contention.

Due to his poor performance in 2023, Garoppolo was not in a position to seek a starting job this year in free agency, but he remains one of the league’s premier backup options. Los Angeles suffered through a terrible stretch in 2022 when Stafford went down, but after Garoppolo serves his two games, the team will be more prepared if another emergency arises under center.

After 10 years in the NFL, one of the greatest players in football history has called it a career.

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald announced his retirement last Friday, ending a dominant 10-year run that saw him make the Pro Bowl in every season and win a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021. He finished his time in the NFL with 111 sacks, the second most for a defensive tackle in history. He is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when eligible.

Donald announced his retirement on social media, writing in an Instagram post: “Cheers to what’s next. Extending a big thank you to the Rams and all the fans for your support over the last 10 years. Much love.” The video that accompanied the statement showed highlights of Donald’s career, from when he was first drafted in the 2014 draft to some of his most exciting sacks and defensive plays.

Donald seemed to tease retirement after the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI two seasons ago. However, he chose to stick around, despite Los Angeles missing the playoffs in 2022 and barely making it last season.

Many celebrities and athletes on X congratulated Donald for an amazing career, including Magic Johnson, Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp and LeBron James. 

Donald in his rookie season recorded nine sacks and 37 solo tackles, a sign of great things to come for the University of Pittsburgh alum. He arguably had his best season in 2018, posting an incredible 20.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 59 total tackles and appearing in his first Super Bowl with the Rams. The team lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII by a score of 13-3.

Over the weekend, Donald made another post on Instagram, announcing that he is conducting a retirement interview that will be posted at an unspecified date. One of the greatest football players in history seems to have a lot on his mind as he ends his decade-long tenure with the Rams, the only team he has ever known.

The Los Angeles Rams are still not sure if defensive lineman Aaron Donald will return for the 2024 season, though the team is hopeful about the prospect. Donald, a 10-time Pro-Bowler, has been considering retirement for several years but has always returned to Los Angeles.

“Definitely hope Aaron is [back],” Rams general manager Les Snead said Wednesday. “I know Aaron is definitely approaching the offseason where he’s doing his normal getting-away, somewhat trying to get revitalized with the goal of playing good football.”

Donald, the 32-year-old defensive star and longtime Ram, has reportedly grappled with retirement for some time now. At the end of the 2021 season, after Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, Donald contemplated walking away on top but ultimately decided to return. The Rams restructured his contract to make him the highest paid defensive player in football.

After the 2022 season, a dreadful follow-up effort for the Rams, some though Donald might consider retirement again. Donald admitted that he considered it after the Super Bowl victory but had no desire to end on a sour note.

“Not really, honestly,” Donald said last off-season when asked if he thought about leaving. “You never want to end your career the way how it was last year so it never really crossed my mind. Just trying to do everything I can to get myself healthy to be here today.”

In Donald’s 2023 season, he earned eight sacks and First-Team All-Pro honors for the eighth time in his career. The Rams made the playoffs but lost to the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round.

Donald has one year remaining on his contract and would earn nearly $35 million if he chooses to return to Los Angeles for the 2024 season. With more than $100 million in earnings over the course of his career, this may not necessarily be a strong motivating factor, but Donald has found reasons to come back in the past and would likely remain a defensive force for the Rams going forward.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that he regrets the way that his team treated quarterback Jared Goff before trading him to the Detroit Lions. Goff will play the Rams in the first round of the NFL Playoffs this weekend.

“I’ll never run away from that. But the further you get away from it, the more that you try to grow as a man, as a person, as the leader that you want to become — he deserved better than the way that it all went down. I’ll acknowledge that,” McVay told reporters. “And I think he knows that, too. And you know, and I’m not afraid to admit those things. But, I think we’re all better, being able to look back on those things. And I do have more appreciation for him as time goes on.”

In their first playoff game in nearly a decade, it is poetic that Goff and the Lions are facing the McVay and the Rams in the first round. A trade between the two teams three years ago defined their franchises to this day, sending two quarterbacks on vastly different trajectories that will briefly converge again this weekend.

Despite leading Los Angeles to four straight winning seasons between 2017 and 2020, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 2018, Goff was traded away to the Detroit Lions before the 2021 season. At the time, McVay and others in the Rams organization simply did not believe in his ability to lead the team going forward. Goff’s replacement, longtime Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford, led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory the following year.

While McVay and Stafford caught fire immediately and won a championship, Goff struggled during a tumultuous rebuild in Detroit. In his first season with the Lions, they went 3-13-1. Over time, however, Goff and Lions head coach Dan Campbell have worked together to cultivate one of the most exciting teams in the NFL.

“Until you’re around [Goff], like I’ve been around him, I don’t want to say it surprised me, but yet, you really get to understand just how resilient he is and how his ability to bounce back – he can look at a situation and take it for what it is,” Campbell said of his quarterback at the end of the 2023 regular season.

In 2023, Goff led an offense featuring star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. Running backs David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs both thrived in the backfield as well. Goff threw a career-high 407 completions for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading Detroit to a 12-5 record and its first division title since 1993.

As the third seed in the NFL Playoffs, the Lions will host their first playoff game against McVay and the sixth-seeded Rams. It will be Stafford’s first game at Ford Field since his 2021 departure.

“The opportunity happens to be in Detroit, which is fun for me on a personal level,” Stafford said Wednesday. “It is going to be rocking there. They haven’t had a playoff game there in about 30 years or whatever it is. So it will be a great atmosphere.”

As for Goff, the once-disrespected quarterback leading another team to the playoffs, he told ESPN that he will never forget the trade that sent him to Detroit. But more than anything, he went on to say that he is playing this weekend to win a playoff game for a franchise long overdue for one.

“I so badly want to win a playoff game for this city that hasn’t had one in so long,” Goff said. “We’ve got a home playoff game for the first time in so long and that’s so much more important than anything personally for me. I want to be a part of this win and do my job the best of my ability.”

The Los Angeles Rams are bringing back kicker Brett Maher for their final game against the San Francisco 49ers and the playoffs.

“Getting into the playoffs definitely changes a little bit of the dialogue in regards to knowing what we have coming down the pipe,” head coach Sean McVay said of the rehiring. “And so we wanted to get somebody in here that had some experience.”

Maher was cut seven games into the 2023 season, where he was replaced with Lucas Havrisik. Maher made 17 of 23 field goals and 12 of 13 PATs. In contrast, Havrisik made 15 of 20 field goal attempts and three of his 22 PATs. Havrisik missed two PATs during Sunday’s game against the Giants and at least one kick in three consecutive games. 

The Rams, who are currently 9-7, are the sixth seed in the NFC and are guaranteed a playoff spot.  They face the 49ers, who are the top seed.

Needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Los Angeles Rams escaped with a 17-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

They came back from being down 13-0 in the first quarter. They only got on the scoreboard during the final seconds of the first half thanks to a Puka Nacua touchdown pass.

During the second half, the Rams initially struggled but managed to get a touchdown thanks to Darrell Henderson. 

The Rams later took the lead after the interception against Drew Lock led to a field goal. The Seahawks had the chance to win late with a 55-yard field goal. It did not go through, which sealed the win for the Rams.

The Rams won thanks to a strong defensive showing led by Ernest Jones. He finished the game with 12 total tackles, in addition to two quarterback hits and half a sack.

Offensively, Matthew Stafford completed 17 of 31 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Nacua was also crucial to the win, gaining five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams, who are 4-6, will face the Arizona Cardinals on November 26.

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick was arrested for suspicion of illegal gun possession after the team’s 26-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

According to officials, he was stopped in a vehicle for a traffic violation and was booked for the charge on October 16.

Rams coach Sean McVay says he was aware of Kendrick’s arrest and that the NFL is involved. 

“We’re continuing to gather more information on that, and so until then, I’m going to just kind of leave it at that until I have all the appropriate information,” he said. “I also know that life isn’t perfect. I’ve certainly made my mistakes, and how can we continuously educate guys on how to avoid these and then also understand all the layers that are involved in a situation like this before kind of dive deep into having an opinion and passing judgment.”

Kendrick was previously arrested in his South Carolina hometown with a gun charge. He was sleeping in his car with a gun in his lap.

It is unknown if Kendrick will be unavailable for the Rams’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday.

Kendrick played in Clemson and Georgia during college, winning a national championship with each team. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has started every game for the Rams this season. In the six games he has played so far, he has three passes defended and 25 combined tackles, including two for a loss.

The Los Angeles Rams traded running back Cam Akers to the Minnesota Vikings Wednesday for a swap of sixth-round draft picks in 2026. Akers began the season with the starting job for Los Angeles but was a healthy scratch in Week 2 as the team quickly turned to backup Kyren Williams.

After ruling Akers inactive ahead of Week 2, head coach Sean McVay said earlier in the week that the team was looking for interested trade partners for the former second-round pick out of Florida State. The Vikings, struggling with their own underperforming run game, agreed to terms quickly.

“I think he did a lot of really good things and I think Cam is a quality player,” McVay told reporters Monday. “I think sometimes it boils down to, alright, is it a fit? What are some of the best opportunities based on putting together what you think is the best way to circumvent or be able to organize your team? And so this isn’t an indictment on any individual.”

Akers’ fate may have been sealed after Williams’ performance Sunday against the 49ers, as the 2022 fifth-round pick ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and caught six passes out of the backfield for another 48 yards and a second touchdown. He has now scored four times in two games, despite splitting work in Week 1. In that game against the Seahawks, Akers found the end zone but only ran for 29 yards on 22 carries.

Though the Rams seem to have found their new starting running back, the Vikings are far from certain after a disappointing early start from Alexander Mattison. The longtime backup and replacement for Dalvin Cook, has not yet capitalized on his first opportunity to lead Minnesota’s backfield, rushing for 62 yards across two games. Akers will likely come in to share part of the workload and at least contend with Mattison, who has had very little competition for snaps since the season started.

“I really care a lot about Cam and I’m appreciative of some of the challenging things that we’ve gone through and where we ended up getting to in terms of our relationship and our ability to communicate clearly, which is why it’s kind of tough for me to hear that there is confusion but I know that I’ll wish him nothing but the best,” McVay went on to say Monday. “I think he’s got a lot of ability and that’s really all I want to be able to add on that, but I am grateful for the many contributions that he made over the course of his career as a Ram.”

Los Angeles wide receiver Cooper Kupp will miss Week 1 due to a hamstring injury he sustained at practice several weeks ago. He could soon be headed to the IR until further details about his setback are revealed.

Head coach Sean McVay did not seem to have many answers for reporters Wednesday after the team announced that Kupp would not start the season with the team. The star receiver who had 1,947 receiving yards in 2021 but missed the second half of the 2022 season with a high ankle sprain.

“It wasn’t the normal thing. There’s just a lot of gray behind this,” McVay said of his most recent injury. “I’m not a doctor, so I can’t really answer anything more about that. I just know it doesn’t follow the standard protocol for when you’re reaggravating a soft-tissue injury. (We are) trying to continue to get a grasp on exactly what it is so he can get back to feeling like the Cooper that we know and love. Hopefully, we’ll do that.”

McVay also said Wednesday that the team was not yet aware of the nature of his issue, a concerning admission for team personnel just before the season. Kupp recently saw a specialist in Minnesota to better evaluate the injury.

“I would just say this, it’s trying to just figure out what’s going on with him,” McVay said when asked Kupp’s recent visit to Minnesota. “Again, I’m kind of speaking out of turn. I just know that we’re trying to open up every avenue in regards to figuring out what’s going on, why is he feeling some of the sensations and things like that in his hamstring. Is it soft tissue? Is there something nerve-wise? And I would be speaking out of turn.”

Kupp was an integral member of the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl team, and when he and quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered injuries in 2022, Los Angeles regressed immediately. His status will be of extreme importance to McVay and his staff as the season progresses. Without him on the field, Stafford will have to spread his passes to many more receivers in order to compensate for Kupp’s massive workload.