Why the Rams Took the Smart Approach to Chicago's Fierce Weather

The Los Angeles Rams decided to stay at home as long as possible before their divisional round matchup

Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts on the sidelines during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. With expected temperatures in Chicago set to be below freezing, many prompted the Los Angeles Rams to fly to Illinois early to get acclimated to the cold. The Rams didn't, and here's why.

McVay On Travel Plans

On Friday, the Rams' head coach Sean McVay addressed the Rams' plan to fly out on Saturday night for their Sunday game.

“What we've learned is where we're kicking off it really doesn't affect us," stated McVay. "Going back to even the COVID year where we were mandated to travel the day before, we've tried to keep as much normalcy as we possibly can. The London game had some different exceptions and things of that nature. As it relates to us traveling the way that we are, we try to be able to say, ‘Hey, let's stay in our atmosphere and environment as long as we can.’ You get there the night before the game. I think you don't minimize it. I think it's as big a deal as you make it."

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks at his play sheet during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"Our guys have had a bunch of successful outcomes. It'll be a 3:30 kickoff in our heads, two hours later than what we're accustomed to. The good thing is at least there are other games on. The Monday night games are the ones that are the worst, where you're just sitting around and there's nothing to watch. You feel that, especially with the east coast Monday night games, I was ready for bed by the time we kicked off against the Falcons. We'll be in good shape. A lot of it goes back to what we did in COVID and then learning about it from Reggie and our group and we've had some successful outcomes.”

My Take

McVay's correct. Unless a person lives in that climate year-round, spending a day or two getting hit by random gusts of the freezing cold isn't going to acclimate the body for a sixty-minute football game.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts after a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Keep in mind that for the London game, it took the Rams a week to get acclimated to East Coast time. A week for a man-made construct. Mother Nature might require a bit more time. Plus, even if the Rams spent a week in Chicago or somewhere nearby, that would mean they would spend a week away from their facility, from their specially designed equipment and recovery center, and most importantly, a week away from their families.

Plus, many players undergo off-site treatment and see specialists for their game preparations. There's no way to fly all those people out to Chicago.

The best approach was to make sure the players had their bodies and minds right and thus, staying in Los Angeles was what was needed.

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