Rams Secure Signature For Their Next Special Teams Ace

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have addressed a key position on Special Teams, finalizing who will be their long snapper for the 2026 NFL season. In 2025, the Rams entered the year with Alex Ward as their starter before bringing back Jake McQuaide.

The Rams Have Their Next Long Snapper

According to NFL Insider Ari Meirov, the Rams have signed Joe Cardona to replace Jake McQuaide.

"The #Rams are signing LS Joe Cardona, the former 2x Super Bowl champion with the #Patriots, to a 2-year guaranteed deal worth $3.45M," stated Meirov.

Cardona played for the New England Patriots from 2015-2024 before spending last season on the Miami Dolphins. Cardona was coached by current Rams Special Teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone during their tenure with the Patriots.

Ventrone Has His Guys

The Rams are counting on Ventrone to fix the issues that caused the team's demise last season. It's clear Cardona was a familiar choice for Ventrone and with both Harrison Mevis and Ethan Evans set to return, the vision Sean McVay has for Ventrone is finally coming to fruition. McVay spoke on Ventrone earlier this season.

Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone works the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think the first thing is I remember watching him as a player and then he transitions into coaching," stated McVay. "There's an energy. There's a toughness, mentally and physically, that he provides. There's a style of play philosophically with how he believes in coaching, what his units have looked like, where he foundationally learned what he knows about this game. There are a lot of guys that he's come from that have had a ton of success as teams coordinators. Obviously, being able to play under and learn under Coach [Bill] Belichick."

"He had tremendous success in Indianapolis. You look at Cleveland, he’s a guy that's really continued to just elevate people that he's around. More importantly, you talk about the impact that he makes, the ability to be able to develop the totality of the roster because when you've got basically 70 guys on your normal roster and your practice squad, at some point you're probably using all those guys especially in the different phases that he'll be responsible for overseeing."

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay walks into the stadium before the NFC Wild Card Round game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

"The alignment is the big thing. I see the energy, the passion that he coaches with and the relationships that he builds. That was something that was really appealing to me because I'd like to think that when we're at our best, that's how we're coaching as well.”