Players report to training camp for the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, July 25th. LA opens the regular season in Melbourne, Australia against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, September 10th.
There are several major open questions surrounding the Rams that have lingered from the offseason. Training camp is certain to bring more information and some answers.
These are the major storylines as the Rams head to Loyola Marymount University:
Potential discipline for Alaric Jackson
Jackson will reportedly not face felony criminal charges for his
June 8th arrest.
But the NFL is generally more strict than the law in order to uphold the image of the shield. Jackson is a repeat offender in the eyes of the league as he served a two-game suspension back in 2024 for a personal conduct violation. The second offense usually carries a baseline six-game suspension, although the NFL will likely conduct an investigation and draw their own conclusions.
The Rams don’t have a lot of good options behind Jackson. Veteran tackles David Quessenberry and AJ Arcuri are on the roster. LA drafted Keagen Trost in the third round this spring and he brings a wealth of college experience.
The backup plan seems lackluster. The Rams seem to be crossing their fingers for good news on the suspension front.
A lot of players need new contracts
LA is in a tough spot when it comes to extending star receiver Puka Nacua. Nacua entered rehabilitation earlier this offseason, and for that reason any franchise would be nervous about paying him top dollar. On the other hand, Nacua’s price tag will only increase if he has another productive season. It’s generally smarter money to pay players earlier and beat the rest of the league to contract inflation.
Nacua is the biggest domino to fall on the contract front for the Rams.
Also worth keeping on the radar are:
- Steve Avila, LG
- Kobie Turner, DT
- Byron Young, EDGE
- Colby Parkinson, TE
- Kevin Dotson, RG
We know the Rams like to take care of extension around the time training camp kicks off. There is likely to be some news on this front in the coming few weeks, although it may not be for whom you are expecting.
Is the offensive personnel shift real?
The Rams are signaling that their role of third receiver has been diminished as the team transitions to deployment of more tight ends. But LA has primarily used 11 personnel (three receivers) since Sean McVay took over as head coach in 2017. We’ve heard the talk before. Walking the walk is a different story.
Could the 12 and 13 personnel trend go as quickly as it came? The Rams don’t really have the horses to seriously threaten defense in 11 personnel. I’ll wait to believe it until I see it.
Also on this topic, training camp will be helpful in validating the potential second-year breakout of TE Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson enters the season as one of the most important offensive chess pieces due to his role as a TE/WR hybrid. He could be the key to unlocking the passing game in heavier personnel sets.
Renewing commitment to special teams
LA invested in special teams this offseason for the first time in a long while. They signed long snapper Joe Cardona, specialist Grant Stuard, and hired Bubba Ventrone and Kyle Hole as special teams coordinator and assistant, respectively.
But one important position the Rams did not address is at return man. Xavier Smith is the leading man for this role until he is usurped, and I’d question how likely that outcome would be. Our last memory of Smith was a muffed punt in the NFC Championship game that gifted the Seahawks a touchdown. LA can do better here and they didn’t seem keen on improving.
Will a new tone at the top and veteran leadership make a difference in the third phase?
Quarterbacks, quarterbacks, quarterbacks
It’s a big story in the NFL when the reigning MVP takes the field for training camp for a new season. Matthew Stafford is certain to get his flowers from the media for his 2026 campaign.
It wouldn’t be surprising if coverage of Ty Simpson outshines Stafford in training camp. This is simply because we likely won’t see Simpson in the regular season. Practices and potentially preseason are our only chances to check in on LA’s first-round pick. It’s no secret that Simpson was a controversial selection. If he struggles, the internet and media will be quick to bury him. The rookie will be the talk of training camp.
And Simpson is “battling” Stetson Bennett for the backup spot behind Stafford, although I’d suggest this is overblown. The backup role should be Bennett’s to lose. The Rams most independently decide when Simpson is capable of starting, and he should not be thrust into action prematurely. The backup role could comprimise his development.
