The Rams didn’t just have a busy offseason. They may have put together the kind of haul that forces the rest of the league to sit up and stare.
Coming off a disappointing end to their 2025 season in the NFC Championship Game against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles and general manager Les Snead went right back to work on an already elite roster. The first domino fell when Matthew Stafford, during his MVP award ceremony, made it clear he wasn’t finished yet. That opened the door, and the Rams walked through it fast.
Now, with 53-man rosters about to be finalized, the biggest news of all landed from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network: Aaron Donald is coming back.
"Rams star Aaron Donald is coming out of retirement to play for his old team with a 1-year, $20M deal with playoff incentives up to $30M, per me and @AdamSchefter,"
That’s a massive addition on its own. Donald is a future Hall of Famer, a 10-time Pro Bowler and an eight-time first-team All-Pro, and he’s back in the fold for Los Angeles.
But Donald is only the latest piece in a spring and summer full of aggressive moves.
The Rams signed Stafford to a new contract extension and brought back veteran defensive back Kam Curl and veteran tight end Tyler Higbee. They also went into free agency and grabbed former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, a clear upgrade at a position that hurt them last season.
Snead kept swinging after that. He pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Chiefs, sending a first-round pick and more to land Trent McDuffie, who later signed a huge $121 million contract extension.
And then came the biggest move of all: the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, widely viewed as one of the best defensive players in the NFL, after his record-breaking 23-sack season for the Cleveland Browns in 2025. Jared Verse went the other way in that deal, but the Rams clearly decided Garrett was worth the price.
There was more, too. Los Angeles may have found its quarterback of the future in Ty Simpson with its first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the team added several other depth pieces along the way.
By the time it was all done, the Rams had added Ty Simpson, a quality draft class, Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and now Aaron Donald. They also brought back Matthew Stafford, Kam Curl, Quentin Lake and Tyler Higbee.
On top of all that, Sean McVay and Snead both got new extensions in their roles as head coach and general manager.
There are other offseason runs that can be argued into the conversation. But with this much star power and this many high-impact moves, the Rams have made a strong case that this one belongs near the top of the list.
In Other News...
Rams Final Cuts Included One Name Fans May Not Have Expected
The Rams got to their initial 53-man roster by trimming a number of names, and one of the more notable moves was parting ways with Scott, a former fourth-round pick by the Bears in 2023. Since entering the league, Scott had already bounced through brief practice-squad stops with the Colts and Seahawks before landing with Los Angeles, giving the team a player whose path had already been anything but straightforward.
Scotts NFL rsum also included a small but tangible role in Chicago last season, when he appeared in 11 games and handled kick-return duties while adding one catch. For a Rams roster always balancing upside, versatility and the realities of final cuts, his release stood out as the kind of move that can leave a few eyebrows raised around the league and among fans watching the depth chart take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Just Sent A Clear Message With Their Latest Roster Cut
The Rams continued trimming their roster to get down to 53 players, and one of the more notable moves involved tight end Mark Redman heading to Green Bay in a trade. Redman put together a productive preseason, but he was still fighting an uphill battle in a tight end room that had little room for extra bodies as Los Angeles finalized its group for the regular season.
It was also part of a broader stretch of roster reshuffling for the Rams, who recently sent running back Jarquez Hunter to Miami and have been active in making the necessary moves to shape the team. For a club trying to strike the right balance between keeping depth and preserving flexibility, the decision to move on from a preseason bright spot says plenty about how tight the margins became. [Read more 🡒]
Puka Nacua Uncertainty Is Suddenly Hanging Over The Rams Opener
The Rams opener already had enough intrigue before the league office got involved, but now Puka Nacuas status has become part of the conversation as the NFL reviews potential disciplinary action tied to offseason incidents involving him and Alaric Jackson. No suspensions have been announced yet, but the uncertainty alone is enough to keep Los Angeles in wait-and-see mode as it pieces together the early-season plan.
Tutu Atwells arrival gives the Rams at least one obvious option if Nacua is unavailable, and it underscores how quickly the depth chart can shift when the league is still sorting through discipline. Nacua, meanwhile, has acknowledged the importance of seeking support and recognizing the responsibilities that come with his platform, a reminder that this situation is about more than just one game and could still shape the Rams opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]