The Seattle Seahawks are basking in the glow of winning a Super Bowl, while the division rival Rams have been stewing over their playoff elimination for weeks. To the victor goes the spoils and all of that. But the history books won't necessarily remember just how narrow the gap was between the two, and the good news for head coach Sean McVay and everyone in Los Angeles is that a few clever offseason moves could help them win a Lombardi Trophy in 12 months time.
It won't be easy for the Rams to overtake Seattle, to be sure. The Seahawks will return a dominant defense and an opportunistic offense in 2026, even with Klint Kubiak moving on to Las Vegas. There are a multitude of reasons why Seattle, not Los Angeles, won the division crown this season.
Still, the two sides matched up three times this year, including a 31-25 victory for the Seahawks in the NFC title game. The foes split the regular-season matchups prior to that, with both contests being decided by a total margin of victory of three points. It's obvious the gap between these franchises is razor thin.
Even so, the Rams know they need to be the hunters heading into the offseason. Here are five moves McVay and company need to make to overcome their big rivals.
Rams offseason move No. 1: Retain Matthew Stafford
The Rams have the requisite talent to compete for a Super Bowl next year, as long as they keep MVP signal-caller Matthew Stafford in the fold. He already hinted during his acceptance speech at the NFL Honors that he intends to come back for at least one more season, but if he surprises the NFL and decides to retire, it could lead Los Angeles into a moderate rebuild.
Fortunately for the Rams, though, his back appears to be feeling good enough, and they are the team that gives Stafford the best chance to win a second title before riding off into the sunset in 2026. The two sides would be wise to lower his potential cap hit of $48.6 million in the coming months, but a reunion makes too much sense not to happen.
Bringing Stafford back seems like something akin to a foregone conclusion, but the Rams need to make sure it's a dream that comes true. Any sea change at quarterback could torpedo their chances of knocking off the Seahawks.
Rams offseason move No. 2: Lock Puka Nacua up with a long-term contract
Puka Nacua has emerged as one of the most dangerous wide receivers in football under McVay's tutelage. Now it's time for the Rams to pay him like one of the best players in the game.
His salary will jump significantly from the $1.1 million and change he earned in 2025. The Rams might have to consider resetting the wide receiver market with Nacua's next contract, which could force them to pay the dynamic wideout upwards of $40 million per season.
Regardless, it's a move Los Angeles has to find a way to make work. Subtract Nacua from their wide receiver corps, and it suddenly becomes one of the weakest in the NFL. Re-signing him maximizes the team's title odds in 2026 and gives them a better ecosystem for a new quarterback in 2027 and beyond.
Rams offseason move No. 3: Trade a cheap defensive lineman
One of the biggest strengths of this roster is the depth of high-end talent they possess along the defensive front. Unfortunately for the front office, though, quite a few of those players are about to get expensive once their rookie deals expire.
That makes this offseason the right time to make a trade to sell high on one of those linemen before they need a new deal, hoping to use surplus to fill a need. Byron Young and Kobie Turner seem like the two most likely trade candidates. If the Rams play their cards right, they can get a first-round pick and more if they're willing to let either player go.
Trading Young or Turner is risky, but it's a cap move that makes a lot of proactive sense for L.A. It's the sort of transaction that can set the roster on solid footing for years to come.
Rams offseason move No. 4: Draft an offensive weapon in Round 1
Snatching the No. 13 overall pick in this year's draft from the Falcons gives the Rams an opportunity to give Stafford one more dynamic weapon to work with in 2026. Landing a potential playmaker at wide receiver or tight end is a must for Los Angeles with their surplus first rounder.
Big-bodied wideout Denzel Boston could be the perfect fit for the Rams. He could line up opposite Nacua and give Los Angeles another plus blocker on the perimeter. Plus, Boston can also use his physicality to make contested catches down the field.
Another idea would be for Los Angeles to pluck Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq off the board. He isn't much of an in-line blocker but he can torment opposing secondaries on deep routes down the seam. Stafford isn't afraid to push the ball down the field, and Sadiq could help him do that even more often next season.
Rams offseason move No. 5: Fix the special teams disaster
To McVay's credit, he took a big step towards accomplishing this goal when he fired coordinator Chase Blackburn late in the regular season. New hire Bubba Ventrone should give the team a big boost on multiple special teams fronts.
But some roster attention also needs to be paid to the third phase of Los Angeles' group. A few veteran additions could add a lot of value as potential special teams aces. The Rams don't need to go out and draft a gunner in Round 3, but a little effort in free agency could go a long way towards solving the team's biggest 2025 weakness.