Monday Morning Rambling: Why 2026 Is the Rams’ Last Best Chance With Matthew Stafford

…and we’ve finally made it! The offseason, training camp, and preseason are officially over. Now, it’s time for the Los Angeles Rams to prove that they’ve done enough to solidify themselves as Super Bowl favorites.

During the Rams’ Super Bowl season in 2021, I did a weekly “Monday Morning Rambling” column, also known as the MMR. Essentially, it became a Monday Morning Quarterback-style column that was strictly Rams related. The column allowed me to ‘ramble’ about whatever was on my mind. Now, as the Rams head into another season with Super Bowl expectations and I’m once again leading my own site, it felt like a good time to bring it back.

As the Rams head into the 2026 season, there’s no doubt they are managing high expectations. After falling in the NFC Championship last season, the Rams made it a point to do what they can to give quarterback Matthew Stafford the pieces he needed to win another Super Bowl. Sam Darnold threw for 346 yards against the Rams’ secondary, so they went out and traded for Trent McDuffie. The Rams had a good pass rush, but lacked a proven closer, so they went out and landed Myles Garrett in a trade.

It’s the first time in NFL history that the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year are on the same roster. That doesn’t even mention that Aaron Donald came out of retirement after being away for two years. Yes, the same Aaron Donald who was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and the best defensive player of his generation.

The Rams’ Last Best Chance With Matthew Stafford

A serious argument can be made that this is the Rams’ last best chance with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. That’s not to say the bottom is going to fall out as many have predicted. However, this is the end of the current window before the Rams will have to re-tool and start building towards the next.

There’s a lot that changes after this year and it’s very clear that the Rams’ front office is aware of that. Teams that believe they’re going to be good for a while don’t always make big trades because they have the perception of more time. There’s no need to sacrifice the future if, in their minds, sticking to the current path will eventually get them to their goal.

The Rams don’t necessarily have that benefit. It’s very possible that this is Stafford’s last year. That doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t play for another year or two after 2026, but there’s a reason the Rams and Stafford are taking it year-to-year. Retirement is a possibility.

Over the last few years, the Rams have had the benefit of having their 2023 draft class on rookie contracts. Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Puka Nacua all became integral to the team’s core and what they wanted to do. That’s not to mention that Kevin Dotson is in the final year of his contract.

The Rams have been able to take advantage of those players on rookie deals. It’s why they’re able to get away with paying Davante Adams as the third-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL in 2026.. Adams is not a top three wide receiver, but with Nacua making $5 million, they can make it work. The Rams were able to trade for and pay Myles Garrett in large part because Byron Young is on a cheap rookie deal.

That changes after this year and the Rams will have to decide who to bring back and who will be part of the long-term core. The Rams will be able to bring back several of those players, but it won’t be everyone. Decisions will have to be made. In a sense, this will be the end of an era before the Rams start building toward their next window.

Again, that’s not to say that a ‘bottom falling out’ is coming, but a retooling similar to what the Rams did between 2019 and 2021 and from 2023 to now is likely. The Rams have done well re-tooling on the fly and remaining competitive while they do so.

It’s part of why this is likely the last best chance that the Rams have with Stafford. With Stafford still playing at a top-five quarterback level and their core group of players more battle-tested, this is it. This is the last chance for this group of players.

Some might say that the Rams are ‘all in’, and they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. While the Rams have made some moves for the future, they’ve put more of their chips into the middle of the table than they have over the last three years. This is once again a team on the precipice of something special.

The Rams Have the Pieces to Win It All

The 2026 season may feel like only a formality at this point with how the Rams have approached the offseason. How can a team with Stafford, Garrett, Donald, McDuffie, and Puka Nacua not win the Super Bowl?

Super teams don’t necessarily exist in the NFL as they do in the NBA or even MLB. The salary cap makes it too difficult. However, if there were such a thing as a super team, the Rams might just have it.

Managing the Weight of Super Bowl Expectations

Still, the games aren’t won on paper. The Rams have to be able to take care of business on the field. Had this been the 2011 Eagles “Dream Team” that had many distractions, there might be reason for concern. However, with Sean McVay at the helm, those same distractions and outside noise don’t seem to be as prevalent.

“We've got to come together as a team. We've got to stay humble,” said head coach Sean McVay in training camp. “We're not going to allow the outside expectations to change the way that we approach every day with the way that we work, the way that we enjoy it, and have the appropriate mindset and energy. And that's something that I think is really important for us to represent and I think that's more felt than anything else.”

This is also something that the Rams are used to, especially being in Los Angeles. Back in 2021 after they traded for Stafford, that was a team that was Super Bowl or bust. They managed those expectations and found themselves playing good football at the right time. For as much talk as there is about the Rams potentially going undefeated, it does seem unlikely.

As all Super Bowl teams do, the Rams will go through their fair share of adversity. In 2021, the Rams had the infamous ‘No-Win November.’ Hopefully the Rams won’t go a full month without winning a game, but they will have obstacles to overcome.

The Rams are no longer the happy-go-lucky young team that lost on the final drive to the Detroit Lions back in 2023. This is now a veteran group that’s experienced a lot together and is ready for that next stepf. They have the pieces and the mindset. It’s up to them to be able to put it together and come away with the Lombardi Trophy in February.

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