Bubba Ventrone’s first real test as the Rams’ special teams coordinator arrives in Week 1, and the pressure is obvious. Los Angeles didn’t make a lot of noisy summer moves on special teams, which has left some fans uneasy. But the Rams are betting that quiet can be a good thing here - that a unit with fewer headlines might be a unit that simply does its job.
That matters because special teams hurt this team last season. The offense carried a heavy load, the defense brought plenty of fight, and still a handful of losses came with special teams mistakes attached. If the Rams want a real shot at the kind of season they’re chasing, this phase has to stop being the weak link.
Three names could help change that right away.
Joe Cardona is the steady hand at long snapper, and that role can disappear into the background until it goes wrong. The Rams know the damage unreliable protection can cause on punts and field goals, and they’ve lived through too many blocked kicks over the years.
Cardona gives Ventrone a veteran presence who is more than just dependable on the snap. He also shows up in punt coverage and makes tackles, which matters for a unit that needs cleaner execution all the way through.
Ethan Evans, the Rams’ punter, will need stronger coverage in 2026 if he wants to be extended, and Cardona is part of that equation.
Grant Stuard is another piece who should stand out if the Rams are paying attention to the details. He wasn’t just filling a spot in camp; he looked like a real special teams force.
The Rams already added Nate Landman at linebacker a year ago, and Stuard looks like another useful addition in that group, though in a different way. Shula called him a "Tasmanian devil" for his playmaking drive and relentless energy.
Stuard has spent six years bouncing around the league, and now he gets a chance to show what he can do in Los Angeles.
Then there’s Jordan Whittington, who might not jump off the page as a receiver but does bring value on returns. Over the last two seasons, he has handled 33 kick returns and averaged nearly 27 yards per return.
He hasn’t been a huge-breakout kind of returner - his longest runbacks in those seasons were 43 yards and 38 yards - but he has been useful. The Rams kept him as their designated kick returner even after sweeping changes elsewhere on special teams, which says plenty about how they see him.
His toughness should matter in a hard-fought matchup with the 49ers, and his role could become a real edge if he keeps giving the Rams solid field position.
Ventrone won’t get time to ease into this. Special teams will be judged immediately, starting in Week 1.
But sometimes the biggest improvements come from the smallest changes. That’s the hope in Los Angeles.
In Other News...
Rams Secondary Overhaul Suddenly Looks Bigger Than Fans Realized
The Rams spent the offseason reshaping the back end of their defense, and the cornerback additions are the kind of moves that can change how a secondary looks from the first snap of the season onward. Around the league, a handful of notable defensive backs changed teams, but Los Angeles stands out because it brought in both Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie, two names that immediately change the conversation about depth, matchups and week-to-week stability.
Watson and McDuffie arrive with different resumes, but the common thread is that each gives the Rams a real chance to raise the floor of a unit that needed fresh answers. The broader league context matters here too, with Chris Johnson landing in Miami, Benjamin St-Juste going to Green Bay and Jamel Dean heading to Pittsburgh, but Los Angeles may have made the most intriguing bet on upside. How quickly that overhaul clicks will go a long way toward showing whether the Rams just added bodies or truly changed the shape of their secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Are Testing A Risky Australia Plan Before NFL History
The Rams have already started treating Melbourne like a dry run, sending employees to Australia to work through the logistics of what would be the NFLs first regular-season game there. The goal is less about sightseeing than survival: charting the travel, the flight experience, sleep, fatigue and recovery so the team can understand what it might feel like to arrive halfway around the world and still be ready to play soon after.
It is a more aggressive approach than the one other teams, such as the 49ers, are expected to take, with San Francisco planning to get to Melbourne a week early. For the Rams, the question is whether the league can turn a historic event into a workable football week without giving away too much on the front end, and the answer may shape how future international games are handled. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Stafford Just Became A Bigger Threat For The Rams
Matthew Staffords postseason story has changed dramatically since he arrived in Los Angeles. After going 0-3 in the playoffs with Detroit, he has since built a 7-3 playoff record with the Rams, and that shift has helped redefine what this franchise can expect when the calendar turns. With the roster around him continuing to evolve, theres a growing sense that Stafford is no longer just the quarterback trying to survive January. He is part of a team that has learned how to lean into those moments.
The Rams have also put work into the rest of the operation, especially the rushing game and the defense, with offseason additions like Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald adding to the sense that the support system around Stafford could get even stronger. Looking ahead to 2026, the expectation is not simply that Stafford will be asked to carry the offense, but that he may have more help than ever if the group comes together the way the Rams envision. The upside is obvious, even if the full picture still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]