Warren McClendon heads into this season with a lot more riding on it than most players in the Rams’ locker room.
The former fifth-round pick spent last year stepping in for Rob Havenstein midway through the season, and the move changed the conversation around him fast. McClendon went from a backup with five career starts to a player who suddenly looks like he could become a long-term fixture for Los Angeles. The catch is simple: whether that future belongs to the Rams may come down to whether they can afford him.
He is entering the final year of his four-year, $4.085 million rookie contract, and the next deal could be massive. Rams reporter Nate Atkins of The Athletic put it this way:
"Outside of Nacua, no player has more to gain financially from this season than McClendon. If he can repeat what he did last season - like allowing a sack on just 0.5 percent of passing plays - on a larger sample size, he’ll be in line to join the more than 20 tackles in the NFL making more than $20 million per season."
That kind of money is very much in play if McClendon backs up last season with another strong run. He is not in the same category as defensive tackle Kobie Turner or edge rusher Byron Young, who already have established track records as impact players.
McClendon, by contrast, has only 15 NFL starts. But if he keeps performing at the level he showed last season, he could be looking at an $80 million contract over four years.
And last season was no small sample of good play. McClendon graded out as PFF’s seventh-ranked tackle, finished fifth in run blocking, and posted the fourth-lowest pressure rate among NFL offensive tackles at 3.1 percent.
That’s why the next step matters so much. He was excellent, but now he has to prove that his 10 starts in 2025 weren’t just a hot streak. If he does, the payoff should be enormous.
The Rams would probably prefer to keep him at right tackle, where he played last season. But there’s a wrinkle. With Alaric Jackson Jr. facing a potential suspension, Los Angeles could move McClendon to the left side and ask rookie Keagen Trost to handle right tackle, the spot he played most often in 2025 at Missouri.
That switch would bring a learning curve, but it could also change the financial upside. According to Spotrac, 15 left tackles are making at least $20 million per year, while only six right tackles are at that level.
Maybe that’s just how the market has shaken out. Maybe it isn’t.
Either way, a move to the left side might not hurt McClendon’s earning power at all.
He’s one of several Rams players who could be in line for major extensions, alongside Nacua, Turner, Young, right guard Kevin Dotson, and left guard Steve Avila. The difference is that McClendon hasn’t stacked multiple seasons of proof yet.
That doesn’t take anything away from how good he was last year. It just makes this season feel even bigger.
In Other News...
Rams Face A Tough WR3 Dilemma With Familiar Veteran Temptation
With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams locked in as the top two options, the Rams are spending this part of the offseason sorting through a more modest but still important question: who becomes the third receiver. Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield and rookie CJ Daniels are among the young players getting a look, which makes the spot less about star power and more about whether the team can find a reliable role player it can keep growing.
That is why the familiar veteran temptation should probably stay just that. Deebo Samuel is still out there, along with names like Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins, but Samuels recent production and the baggage that can come with a high-profile addition make him a tricky fit for a Rams offense already built around established targets. Adding him would also cut into the development path for the younger receivers battling for snaps, and Los Angeles appears more likely to let that competition play out than to crowd it with another big name. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Still Have One Obvious Fix For Their Biggest Weak Spot
The Rams offensive line depth remains one of the clearest pressure points on the roster, especially at tackle, where the team does not have much proven insurance behind its top options. Alaric Jackson Jr. is dealing with off-field issues, Warren McClendon has only limited starting experience, and that combination leaves Los Angeles vulnerable if it needs to patch things together in a hurry.
One possible answer has emerged in the form of a veteran left tackle who is suddenly available after Detroit moved on for salary reasons. Entering his 11th season, he was still viewed as a serviceable starter last year, which is enough to make him an appealing fallback for a Rams team that knows how valuable a steady blind-side presence can be. The question now is whether Los Angeles wants to make another experienced swing on the line before the problem turns into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Rumor Has Rams Fans Dreaming About 2026
Aaron Donalds name is back in the conversation around the Rams, and for a fan base that spent years watching him wreck game plans, even the hint of movement is enough to stir up old memories. According to Jason La Canfora, there is growing belief around the league that the former defensive tackle could eventually make his way back to Los Angeles, with the discussion centered less on nostalgia than on whether the door is actually opening again.
The timeline remains fuzzy, but the expectation is that Donald would not be around when training camp opens and would miss the early stretch of practices. Still, the possibility of him being available for much of the 2026 season is enough to keep the speculation alive, especially after reports that he has told some inside the organization he is leaning toward a return. For now, the Rams are left with a familiar kind of suspense, the sort that comes with wondering whether one of the franchises defining players has another run left in him. [Read more 🡒]