The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams should be quite good again in 2026, assuming injuries don't take a toll, of course. The teams were likely the two best this past season, and whichever played in the Super Bowl was probably going to win. Thankfully, Seattle did. 2027 could be different for LA, though.
That is based on a recent ranking by The Athletic (subscription required) of the best potential free agents next offseason. Seattle has just one player listed among the 30 on the list (no Derick Hall; what?), but Los Angeles has quite a lot.
In other words, while the Seahawks won't go through too much attrition next offseason, especially after having extended wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and likely doing the same soon with cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the Rams could look quite different beyond 2026.
Seattle Seahawks could be looking at a different Los Angeles Rams team in 2027
That isn't to say LA won't continue to be good, of course. The team might still find a way to do that, but the Rams also probably can't afford to sign all the players on The Athletic's ranking who currently call Los Angeles home.
At the top of the ranking is quarterback Matthew Stafford, probably a future Pro Football Hall of Famer who was the NFL MVP last season. Clearly, while he is now 38 years old, he isn't getting worse. He could play for another few years at a high level, though that would make LA's choosing of quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of this year's draft even more confusing.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua is number five, and he probably hopes to get a contract extension that will surpass the average annual salary of the one JSN signed this offseason. That would mean Nacua would have to earn more than $42.15 million a year. Should Nacua get that, it would obviously affect what LA can play with its other free agents.
Edge rusher Byron Young, a central piece to what the Rams do along their defensive line, is number 15. Wide receiver Davante Adams is number 17, though he is probably closer to retiring than receiving a contract extension. Guard Kevin Dotson is 22, defensive lineman Kobie Turner is 27, and guard Steve Avila is 28.
What is most important about the paragraph above is that many of those players are either offensive linemen or play on the D-line, two areas where no team can afford to get worse. This is especially true of the NFC West, where the Rams have to face the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, two annual playoff contenders.
Not that Seahawks fans care about the Rams' concerns. Let LA get worse by losing key free agents. That would be just fine, thank you.
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