The Rams’ tight end room may be getting squeezed by injuries, but that doesn’t mean rookie Max Klare is about to get tossed into the fire.
Los Angeles heads into Week 4 at 1-2, and the frustration around the roster has only grown. The rookie class hasn’t produced much, and that has become a bigger talking point because the Rams had obvious needs at WR3 and linebacker when they used picks on quarterback Ty Simpson and Klare. Simpson has also sat near the bottom of the depth chart, but the louder complaints have centered on Klare.
He’s TE5 right now and has logged only six special teams snaps. Even with Terrance Ferguson leaving Week 3 against the Broncos with an ankle injury, Klare didn’t get an offensive snap despite being active. That stood out, even if Klare and Ferguson bring different things to the table.
Week 4 could open the door a little wider. Ferguson is expected to miss time while dealing with a medial ankle sprain, and Colby Parkinson is also working through an AC sprain.
If both are out, the Rams could lean back into more 11 personnel and shift around the rest of the offense. That would leave Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, Max Klare, and possibly Dan Villari at tight end, with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Konata Mumpfield likely carrying more of the load at receiver and Higbee serving as the lone tight end in some looks.
Still, even if the depth chart thins out, the Rams may not see Klare as a player they need to rush. This is how they tend to operate with rookies. They usually ease them in, and Klare has fit that pattern.
Terrance Ferguson is the cleanest example. After the Rams drafted him in the second round last season, he was inactive in Weeks 3 and 4 and didn’t play more than 10 percent of the offensive snaps until Week 6.
His first catch didn’t come until Week 7. He started three games as a rookie and has started all three this year.
There are exceptions, of course. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp made immediate impacts as rookies.
But those were exceptions, not the rule. Ferguson’s path looks a lot more like what Sean McVay typically does with young players.
The list of slower starts is long. Gerald Everett had 16 catches as a rookie before doubling that in year two.
Darrell Henderson, a third-round pick, had just 39 rushing attempts as a rookie. Van Jefferson finished his first year with 19 receptions.
Tutu Atwell had none, though injury played a role there.
That’s the bigger picture with Klare: the Rams usually wait until a rookie is ready, especially at skill positions, and only then do they expand the role.
Klare did flash in the preseason. He was one of only two tight ends with more than 10 receptions, and he finished with 12 catches for 55 yards.
The production was mostly underneath, though, and his 0.73 yards per route run ranked 33rd out of 36 qualifying tight ends. His run-blocking was also only average, with a PFF grade of 56.2.
So even if Ferguson and Parkinson are unavailable, the Rams may simply work around the issue instead of forcing Klare onto the field. McVay is not likely to sacrifice the offense’s ceiling because a rookie still needs time with the playbook or more work as a blocker.
Tight end is a tough jump from college to the NFL because of the physical demands, and the Rams seem intent on bringing Klare along at their pace. He was always more of a 2027 pick, especially with several pending free agents at the position.
That’s why the frustration around his usage is understandable, but only to a point. The complaints say more about the expectation that a second-round pick should contribute right away than they do about Klare himself.
For now, injuries might give him his first real chance. If not, the Rams will keep playing the long game. And from their perspective, that matters more than forcing Klare into action before he’s ready.
In Other News...
Rams Fans Have A New Reason To Be Furious About That Late Flag
A late pass interference flag in Week 3 already left Rams fans seething, and now Pat Bryant has made the whole sequence look even worse. The Broncos receiver admitted in an interview that he exaggerated the contact on the play against Josh Wallace, a call that wiped out Wallaces interception and kept Denvers drive alive before it ended in a game-winning touchdown.
Bryants comments have only added fuel to the frustration because the play had such a direct impact on the outcome. He also played a part in the Broncos win with two catches, including a touchdown, but it is the flag he helped draw that has drawn the loudest reaction from Rams supporters and plenty of criticism online. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Already Face Doubts About A Linebacker Bet They Needed To Win
Before Week 12 of the 2025 season, Nate Landman had done enough to convince the Rams he was worth locking in. The linebacker signed a three-year, $22.5 million extension after 11 strong weeks, a move meant to give the defense some needed stability in the middle and reward a player who had quickly become part of the plan.
Since then, the return has not matched the investment. Landmans play has slipped, his Pro Football Focus grades have dropped, and the disruptive moments the Rams were counting on have become harder to find. For a team that viewed the deal as a way to secure a reliable presence at linebacker, the timing of the extension is suddenly looking a lot less comfortable than it did when the ink was still fresh. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Non-Call Revived A Debate Fans Know All Too Well
A controversial no-call on a potential pass interference play involving Josh Wallace and Broncos receiver Pat Bryant sent old memories rushing back for Rams fans, because this is the kind of moment that tends to linger long after the final whistle. The play itself sat in that gray area officials live in on Sundays, where contact, timing and interpretation all collide in real time and leave plenty of room for disagreement.
For Los Angeles, the debate was less about one snap than about a familiar frustration that has followed the franchise before, including the 2018 NFC Championship non-call that still comes up whenever a borderline decision goes against them. Pass interference remains one of the league's most subjective judgments, and this latest sequence was another reminder that two viewers can watch the same play and come away convinced of entirely different things. [Read more 🡒]