2026 Financials: Los Angeles Rams

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2026 Financials: Los Angeles Rams

Michael Ginnitti
January 25, 2026



The Los Angeles Rams finished 2025 with a 12-5 record, good enough for 2nd place in the NFC West, and a 5 seed in the postseason.

LAR enters 2026 with around $59M of cap space, with 42 contracts currently on the books (though 2 are set to void in mid-Feb). The table is headlined by Matthew Stafford ($48.2M), Davante Adams ($28M), and Alaric Jackson ($25.3M).

The Rams currently boast 11 draft picks, including two 1st-round picks (Atlanta), two 5th-round picks (Tennessee), and two 6th-round picks (Houston). Future Rams Draft Picks

  • Will Matthew Stafford return in 2026, and if so - will he be comfortable on a $40M salary?
  • The Rams have plenty of mouths to feed this offseason, and no post-Stafford plan (at least from the outside looking in). Will there be reservation in adding too much multi-year guarantee to the roster with change coming at the QB1 position sooner rather than later?
(Spotrac Valuation APY)

RT Rob Havenstein ($10M)
S Kamren Curl ($10M)
CB Roger McCreary ($6.1M)
TE Tyler Higbee ($5.4M)

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Claimed off waivers from Washington last December, Forbes had his most impactful season to date in 2025, spending the year as LA’s primary RCB. Has he shown enough to warrant an $11M guarantee with a 5th-year option exercise this spring? That seems unlikely at present time.

One of the bigger no-brainers in the league this coming offseason, Nacua is entering a contract year in 2026, set to earn an estimated $5.8M (once a proven performance escalator is finalized). He’s extension-eligible for the first time this winter, currently projecting toward a 4 year, $154M deal in our system. There’s a realistic world where that number looks more like $180M ($45M APY) when it’s all said and done.

The former 3rd-round pick out of Tennessee had an official breakout year in 2025 (12 sacks, 82 tackles), but has been a standout player for each of his first 3 NFL campaigns. He projects toward a 4 year, $145M ($36M APY) extension in our system.

A 3rd-round pick out of Wake Forest, Turner has 24 sacks across 3 seasons, and has developed into one of the better overall interior linemen in the game. The 26-year-old projects toward a 4 year, $100M contract in our system.

A 2nd-rounder out of TCU, Avila is the clearcut option at left guard for this Ram’s offense, but has dealt with limited seasons in back to back years due to injury. He enters a contract year in 2026, set to earn an estimated $3.7M (once a proven performance escalator kicks in). The 26-year-old projects toward a 4 year, $70M extension in our system.

Saw his snap count drop from 70% in 2024, to 40% in 2025, but is also under contract at a team-friendly $7.5M in 2026. There’s a $500,000 roster bonus due March 15th, so any kind of movement would likely happen prior to.

He certainly doesn’t look like a player ready to hang up the cleats, but Stafford is certainly within his rights to consider his options this coming spring. The nearly 38-year-old is under contract at $40M in 2026, all of which is set to fully guarantee on March 15th. The Rams would be staring at a $41.9M dead cap charge if Stafford moves on here. Processing this in a Post 6/1 manner means $27.5M in 2026, $14.4M in 2027.

A 5th-rounder out of Ohio State, Hamilton hasn’t yet found his sea legs in this Rams’ defense, and is in danger of falling by the wayside before a second offseason.

QB Matthew Stafford’s 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 15th. Converting it to bonus can free up $11.7M of cap space.

WR Davante Adams’s 2026 roster bonus is already fully guaranteed. Processing a simple salary conversion (including this roster bonus and adding void years), can open up over $18M of space.

LT Alaric Jackson’s 2026 salary is already secure. Processing a conversion on it (plus void years) can free up $15.6M of room.

S Quentin Lake’s 2026 compensation will be fully guaranteed by March 13th. Converting most of it to signing bonus first can open up $8.6M of space.

https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/3240/2026-financials-los-angeles-rams
 
$59M cap space and 4 picks in the first 100 selections, to include a top 15 pick.

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We don't have two fifth-round picks. We gave up Tennessee's in the McCreary trade and got the lowest one of our sixths back, which happened to be ours.
 
59 mill in cap space, but thats only 40 contracts, have to fill 11 spots. Those 11 contracts could be another 15-20 mill
 
Lots of cap space and a lot of options to create more. Really shouldn't be anything keeping us from doing exactly what we would want to do this offseason.
And not a whole lot of needs at that. They can probably sign a single veteran corner and maybe a deep threat receiver. And then target the rest in the draft.
 
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They'll mostly be rookies anyway, right?
Not really, with 2 first round picks a 2nd and 3rd rounder, they would all slot higher than the 40 listed
Last year #13 pick 1st year cap hit was 4 mill, #29 pick 3.5 mill, figure another 3 mill for the 2nd and 3rd round pick, that 10.5 mill for 44 players and the last 7 even with rookies and low cost vets its another 5-6 mill
 
Not really, with 2 first round picks a 2nd and 3rd rounder, they would all slot higher than the 40 listed
Last year #13 pick 1st year cap hit was 4 mill, #29 pick 3.5 mill, figure another 3 mill for the 2nd and 3rd round pick, that 10.5 mill for 44 players and the last 7 even with rookies and low cost vets its another 5-6 mill
Good point. I wouldn't be surprised if the Rams are packaging most of those late draft picks to move up and save some money. 11 rookies making the roster is probably not feasible anyways.
 
Curious what they'll do with Stafford's contract, it's not as easy as the above writer states, "QB Matthew Stafford’s 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 15th. Converting it to bonus can free up $11.7M of cap space."
They already has some 30+ mill in dead cap void years, not sure they want to kick that can down the road even more
 
Curious what they'll do with Stafford's contract, it's not as easy as the above writer states, "QB Matthew Stafford’s 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 15th. Converting it to bonus can free up $11.7M of cap space."
They already has some 30+ mill in dead cap void years, not sure they want to kick that can down the road even more
Yep. The way the past two offseasons have gone, with rumblings behind the scenes then McVay needing to clear the room to find a deal with Stafford... I am not certain he'll return.

I am glad McVay said they want him back. But there's a ways to go on it I think.
 
Yep. The way the past two offseasons have gone, with rumblings behind the scenes then McVay needing to clear the room to find a deal with Stafford... I am not certain he'll return.

I am glad McVay said they want him back. But there's a ways to go on it I think.
Well if money was an issue last off-season, Stafford coming off of an MVP level season probably all but guarantees they'll need to renegotiate. Maybe the Rams are more comfortable this time around based on what they saw this year.
 
Well if money was an issue last off-season, Stafford coming off of an MVP level season probably all but guarantees they'll need to renegotiate. Maybe the Rams are more comfortable this time around based on what they saw this year.
Stafford may want more money - but at this point in his career winning a super bowl would seem more of a motivating factor.

The two teams that tried to get him last year went 6-28.

He likely could still be deciding how he wants to approach this offseason.
 
I know Stafford coming back isn't guaranteed at all but much like the situation we were in during the offseason last year, I ask where else he would go? This team is built for him offensively and we have damn near everyone we want coming back. Draft a stud WR to give him a 1B alongside Puka, with Adams we'd continue to be deadly. Defense needs a ton of work but he can bring that to the negotiating table, demand the Rams invest on that side of the ball.
 
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