Every offseason a few teams make noise. Only a handful actually get better in the ways that matter come January. The Los Angeles Rams did — and they did it by attacking the one area that separates good teams from great ones in the modern NFL: the pass rush.
The move that changed everything
The headline addition was star edge rusher Myles Garrett, one of the most disruptive defensive players in football. Pairing a premier pass rusher with a defense that was already respectable does two things at once: it collapses the pocket faster on obvious passing downs, and it makes life easier for everyone behind him. Coverage tightens when the quarterback has less time. Takeaways go up. Games that used to be coin flips start tilting in your favor.
That's the multiplier effect of an elite rusher, and it's why the Rams' offseason registered as more than just a big name. It addressed a structural need on a roster that was otherwise already built to contend.
Why it matters in the NFC
Los Angeles enters the year having already proven it can win in January — the conference title game appearance was no fluke. The offense returns its core. Now the defense has a genuine difference-maker up front. That combination — a proven offense plus a suddenly-scary pass rush — is the profile of a team built for a deep run, not just a good regular season.
The Rams are what a contender is supposed to look like: a big swing on top of a roster that was already knocking on the door.
Who's still in the way
Being the team to beat isn't the same as being uncatchable. A few names loom:
- The Seahawks. Seattle is the reigning champion for a reason, and it beat the Rams when it mattered most last season. Until someone knocks them off, the road to the Super Bowl still runs through the champs.
- The rest of the NFC's contenders. The conference is deep, and the margins in January are razor-thin. Health, matchups, and a hot quarterback can upend even the most complete roster.
The honest caveat
Rosters win games in September; they don't guarantee anything in January. The NFL is a league of attrition and variance — the most talented team on paper loses in the playoffs every single year. The Rams have done the hard part of building a genuine contender. The harder part, actually finishing it, only starts when the games count.
Still, if you're ranking the NFC's most complete teams heading into 2026, it's hard to make a case for anyone ahead of Los Angeles. They found their weakness and they fixed it with a star. Now we find out if it's enough.
This article is for informational and entertainment purposes. Roster and team details are accurate as of publication and subject to change.