Football is a ruthless business, and it spares no victims. It's not a matter of what you did for your team; it's all about what you can do for them now or in the future. Notably, the Los Angeles Rams know a thing or two about that pragmatic approach.
Still, one team's trash is another team's treasure, and that definitely applies to the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks are living proof of that, as they made the most of a couple of Rams cast-offs to orchestrate their Super Bowl-caliber roster.
Also, the Rams' dominant performance against the Minnesota Vikings in last season's playoffs may have laid the ground for Sam Darnold's exit. That's why, looking back, Seahawks GM John Schneider should write the Rams' front office a thank-you note.
The Los Angeles Rams gave the Seattle Seahawks three crucial contributors
Sam Darnold's situation is perhaps the clearest in this butterfly-effect theory. If they hadn't sacked him nine times and beaten him 27-9, perhaps the Vikings would've tried to keep him around. Instead, they let him walk, and the Seahawks poached him with a three-year, $100 million deal that's now looking like a bargain.
Darnold finished the season with 4,048 passing yards and 25 touchdowns and was instrumental in leading this team to a 14-win campaign. Then, facing doubts and negative narratives, he had the best game of his career -- and arguably the greatest QB performance in franchise history -- against that same Rams team to take the Seahawks to the Super Bowl.
The Rams also moved on from Ernest Jones. They traded him to the Tennessee Titans, who moved him again to Seattle in 2024. He had arguably the best season of his career this year, leading the league in both interceptions (5) and tackles (126).
Jones also had an epic performance against his former team, leading the team with eight tackles in the NFC Championship Game. It clearly meant a little more to him to get back at the team that drafted him and ditched him.
Last but not least, we cannot ignore Cooper Kupp's impact on the team. While he's no longer the elite pass catcher he was when he won the wide receivers' Triple Crown, he still closed out the year with 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers may not pop out, but he was the team's second most-prolific receiver behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Kupp also played a big role against the Rams, hauling in four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown. That score helped the Seahawks extend their lead to double digits and put it out of reach to secure the win.
Things are never linear in sports, and A doesn't always lead to B. But in this case in particular, the Rams may have sealed their own fate.