How will the Los Angeles Rams retool in order to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026?
Let’s start a free agent shopping list on the offensive side of the ball. For now, we can ignore players who would require a trade of could be released from their teams and only focus on free agents.
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These are the individuals I would be excited about the Rams signing on the open market followed by their contract projections from The Athletic:
Quarterback
Mitch Trubisky, Bills
One year, $8M
Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent and could leave the Rams. Hopefully LA never has to turn to their backup; however, you could do much worse than Trubisky. This would give the Rams an upgrade from a mobility standpoint and the price tag is overall similar.
Is this a signing that gets the Rams over the hump? Probably not. It’s still smart money with a starting quarterback in his late 30’s.
Running back
None
LA has added talent to this position with Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter in back-to-back draft classes. It’s a talented stable of backs and adding to the room could easily make it overly crowded.
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Receiver
Romeo Doubs, Packers
Four years, $61M
Puka Nacua is one of the NFL’s best receivers. Davante Adams is still lethal in the red zone.
The Rams need a dependable pass catcher that can contribute between the 20-yard lines and move the chains on third down. Doubs excels in both areas and comes from a similar offensive system. It’s an easy match.
$15M annually sounds like a lot but that is only $5M more than the Rams paid Tutu Atwell. It’s barely starting receiver money in free agency and maybe even a bargain for a player of Doubs’ caliber.
Tight end
Charlie Kolar, Ravens
Three years, $21M
Is this a steep price tag when the Rams already have Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson on the roster? Probably.
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But Kolar has played behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in Baltimore and hasn’t been asked to do much other than block—and this is an area he has excelled. That’s exactly what the doctor ordered for Los Angeles, and Kolar could have receiving abilities that the Ravens never tapped into.
If the Rams are going to run 13 personnel often again in 2026, they are still saving money by “over investing” in tight ends compared to what receivers make. The more you think about it, the more sense it makes.
Tackle
None
The Rams just re-signed David Quessenberry as a depth piece. Do they need a backup left tackle too? Probably, but the answer could be a developmental player that is already on the roster or could be addressed through the draft. It could be smart to pinch pennies here.
Interior offensive line
Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jets
One year, $3M
Vera-Tucker was on a trajectory to become one of the league’s better guards before he tore his triceps ahead of the 2025 season. The Rams might not have a place to put him in the starting line up immediately. If they can pitch a rehabilitation stint and developmental year, this is a premium player that could contribute in a pinch. Should he play well in replacement of Steve Avila or Kevin Dotson, the Rams could recover a compensatory pick upon his departure.
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