The Rams are heading into training camp with more than just football decisions hanging over the building. A cluster of young core players is approaching the end of their rookie deals, and Sean McVay made it clear Saturday that the team is still sorting through how all of it fits together.
Kobie Turner, Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kevin Dotson and others are all entering the final year of their contracts in 2026, and the Rams are already in the middle of internal conversations about what comes next. McVay said those talks have involved players and agents, but there are still “some other things” that need to be lined up before anything gets done.
“We've had a lot of internal dialogue and discussions and there's been a lot of moving parts,” said McVay. “I've talked to those players about it.
I know that our group has had some conversations with agents. We still have to figure out some other things where there's an order of things relative to just some moving parts of things that we've talked about already here to be able to figure out, alright, what does that look like?”
That “moving parts” line is doing a lot of work here. The Rams don’t have just one extension to navigate - they’ve got a whole stack of them, and not nearly enough room to keep everybody. Earlier this offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Rams were signaling they wouldn’t extend their 2027 free agents this summer, and while that could always change, those deals were not on the radar in early June.
Aaron Donald sits at the center of that picture. Until there’s clarity on whether he returns, it’s hard to see the Rams locking in extensions for anyone else. If Donald does come back, the team would owe him $30 million, and even if that number doesn’t end up being the final one, the Rams would still need maximum flexibility to make the math work.
There’s also the simple reality that the Rams need more information before they start handing out long-term money. They can’t keep everyone, and the front office has to decide which players are worth building around for the next phase.
Nacua is one of the biggest names in that group, but the Rams are likely going to want to see more maturity before they commit to a deal that could land near $40 million per year. His off-field situation has added another layer to the decision.
Nacua didn’t give any sign of holding out during OTAs, and he was on the field once training camp opened. A holdout, as the source noted, would not have helped his standing with the team.
A franchise tag after the season is one possible way for the Rams to buy more time.
Avila is in a different spot, but the same basic logic applies. The Rams want to see him take another step, and there’s a real chance they’ll have to choose between him and Dotson. Right now, Dotson appears to have the slight edge.
“I try not to think about that stuff too much, but I just want to be who I am and I know all that stuff will work itself out,” said Avila. “All that stuff will work itself out soon, and again, I’m not thinking about it too much. I just want to go out there and do what I can for this team.”
The Rams’ approach doesn’t look like a team that’s unwilling to pay its own. Last season, they took care of Kyren Williams and Quentin Lake during the year. That matters, because it shows the organization is willing to reward players it has developed when the timing makes sense.
The bigger issue is timing. The Rams have benefited for years from having a wave of young contributors on rookie contracts, and now those deals are starting to expire all at once. How they handle these extensions will matter not just for the roster now, but for the shape of the salary cap down the road.
The numbers point to some flexibility. The Rams are projected to have $79 million in cap space next offseason and $162.81 million in 2028, though they only have 33 players on the books for that 2028 season.
As the team starts extending players and preserving room for free agents, those figures will change. It’s also possible the Rams try to backload deals so they line up with Ty Simpson on his rookie contract.
That’s where the bigger picture comes into focus. The Rams are at the end of one Super Bowl window and staring at the start of another build. Matthew Stafford is getting older, the young core is reaching the end of its rookie years, and the team has already drafted Ty Simpson with an eye on what comes next.
So even if no extensions get done this offseason, the conversations already underway are shaping the next round of decisions. By the time the Rams get to 2027 and beyond, they’ll need to know exactly which players are the pillars of the next window.
In Other News...
Rams Hit With Another O-Line Concern They Really Did Not Need
Training camp had barely gotten underway when the Rams were dealt another reminder of how fragile offensive line depth can be. Guard Justin Dedich was placed on the Non-Football Injured Reserve list, a move that keeps him eligible to return before the 53-man roster cutoff date but still leaves Los Angeles thinner inside as it starts sorting through its early camp reps.
The timing matters because the Rams are trying to build continuity up front while also managing the rest of the roster churn that comes with camp. Undrafted rookie cornerback Al'Zillion Hamilton also landed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, another small hit to depth in the defensive backfield, and it adds to the sense that the first days of practice are already forcing the team to juggle bodies in a few key spots. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fans Got Their First Real Reason To Watch Ty Simpson
The Rams opened training camp at Loyola Marymount University with their first on-field practice, and the early quarterback rotation offered a small but meaningful glimpse into how the backup job could sort itself out. Matthew Stafford sat out the initial session as the team manages his workload, which pushed rookie Ty Simpson into reps behind the first unit while Bennett handled the first-team offense in the opening 11-on-11 work.
For Simpson, it was the kind of first day that can tell you as much about the process as the throws themselves. He had an up-and-down debut with a few missed passes mixed in with some solid moments, and he kept turning to quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone for feedback after reps. Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase said he likes Simpsons work ethic and expects him to keep growing through camp, which makes the next few practices worth watching as the rookie tries to keep closing the gap. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Defense Sent A Chilling First Message At Camp
The Rams opened training camp with the kind of defensive reset that can change the feel of a practice field fast, as new arrivals Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson all took part in the first session. Garrett made his presence felt in 11-on-11 work, while the Rams also used the day to sort through a few other important camp competitions, including opportunities for Stetson Bennett and rookie Ty Simpson as the offense worked through its early reps.
McDuffies view of Garrett only added to the buzz around the front seven, and the rest of the secondary had its own moments as Watson helped break up a deep ball intended for Davante Adams before the play ended with Kam Kinchens finishing it off. Matthew Stafford was held out on a scheduled rest day, which opened the door for Bennett to work with the first unit and for the team to keep evaluating the skill positions, where Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield are among the names fighting for the WR3 job behind Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. [Read more 🡒]