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znModeratorLAFB Network@LAFBNetwork
Myles Garrett is already making his presence felt in LATrent McDuffie: “When he’s out there, you can just feel his aura.”
Byron Young: “Watching him play… it’s art.”
Chris Shula: “It definitely lived up to it.”
znModeratorNFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Naming Some Dudes!
Gregg Rosenthal, Jourdan Rodrigue and Patrick Claybon name some guys!znModeratorznModeratorMyles Garrett turning and dipping but getting a bit wide, then eliminating surface … LT in good position but Garrett just makes him whiff pic.twitter.com/ac2OBMs7VQ
— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) June 3, 2026
znModeratorMyles Garrett with and inside club/swim on the TE and then a cross chop on LT (inside hand chops down LT's hand) and then dips under to then sprint to QB
I mean, next level hands pic.twitter.com/65zLks8htr
— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) June 6, 2026
znModeratorMyles Garrett starts outside, stays outside, attacks outside shoulder and gets inside hand inside and basically a head butt … and them outside club to slip the LT pic.twitter.com/Y66DzrzQZl
— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) June 6, 2026
znModeratorWelcome back, Dweebo #RamsHouse https://t.co/Mb8UpKpqtC pic.twitter.com/hCAsoqy8mx
— Daniel Leu (@Leuzer6) July 31, 2026
znModeratorLAFB Network@LAFBNetwork
Ty Simpson has quietly put together a solid start to camp. Even as the Rams’ third quarterback, he’s looked poised, decisive and comfortable operating Sean McVay’s offense.The future isn’t here yet, but it’s worth watching.
znModeratorfeom Ranking all 32 NFL edge rusher groups: Myles Garrett puts Rams at No. 1: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-edge-rushers-2026-ranked-myles-garrett-rams/
1. Los Angeles Rams
Key contributors: Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart
It is a thin margin between the Rams and Texans for the top spot in the edge rusher group rankings. The Myles Garrett effect puts Los Angeles in the No. 1 position. He might go down as the greatest player to ever line up on the edge when it is all said and done. It almost does not matter who lines up next to him, but for good measure, the Rams will trot out a Pro Bowler in Young who racked up 29 quarterback hits last year and might be even better in 2026 with Garrett commanding so much attention. The offensive lines that have to contain both Young and the NFL single-season sack record holder are in for long, long, long days.
znModeratorPhiladelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio took a couple of shots at Dr. Anthony Fauci
Another reason to beat the Eagles this year.
znModeratorNo. 3 wide receiver
This is one of the most important position battles because of A) how wide open it is and B) how crucial the WR3 spot is in Los Angeles’ offense. Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield and CJ Daniels are the primary competitors in this competition, but it’s possible all four will contribute at some point this season.
As of now, it appears Whittington is leading the race because of how experienced and versatile he is, but Daniels is making noise in practice and drawing attention from fans and coaches. McVay called him a “mature rookie” once again and said he’s excited to watch Daniels in the preseason.
znModeratorznModeratorPuka Nacua is again the star of Rams camp. Now, can he earn their trust?
Nate Atkins
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford dropped back, faked a handoff, turned back around and went looking for Puka Nacua again.
He found him down the left sideline, with a touch of separation on new Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson. So the reigning MVP lofted a deep ball that whipped through the sun-drenched sky and ocean breeze of the Loyola Marymount University practice field, each rotation of the ball causing the crowd to rise in anticipation a little more. And there was Nacua, gliding underneath the pass and taking it to the end zone to a roar of cheers.
This is the Nacua the Rams have known and loved for three seasons now, but it also felt a little new. He was gliding faster downfield than he has before.
In a blue Rams practice jersey, he looked a little closer to a traditional vertical outside receiver than the rugged across-the-middle force he’s proven to be at such an unstoppable level.
Except that guy is in there, too.
Nacua has become the star of Rams camp through the first four practices. He’s by far the leading receiver in volume of catches, as he was last season as the NFL’s leader in receptions.
However, he’s also been the leader in explosive plays. Some of that is due to the lack of full pads, which removes the defense’s advantage, but it’s also lived in his separation and movement across the middle with the ball in his hands.
And those hands are still working — both of them, as he proved by hauling in a one-handed catch on a slant route before taking it to the end zone in one practice, earning a point and high five from coach Sean McVay.
“I think I’m still working on it,” Nacua said of his game shape, which he helped build in workouts with former Rams star receiver Cooper Kupp this offseason. “I would say my eating habits definitely have changed. I might say I still dabble in some McDonald’s every once in a while, but it’s not as common as it used to be.
“I’m trying to watch where I’m at and make sure that I can continue to put my foot in the ground when I need to.”
As exciting as it is to watch a fourth-year superstar chase another athletic gear, this is only secondary to the transformation the Rams are looking for from their go-to receiver.
The first set roots in a holistic care facility this spring, right in the heat of the drama and building noise. Nacua was facing a lawsuit and a potential suspension from the NFL, and he was searching for himself.
He’d just finished his most prolific season by leading the league with 129 catches and 107.2 receiving yards per game while going toe-to-toe with Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba for NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Smith-Njigba won that award and cashed in with a four-year, $168.6 million contract. Meanwhile, Nacua searched for a way to save himself from himself.
The events had piled up quickly in the second half of the 2025 season: There was the livestream incident where he attempted to sneak streamers into a practice during the biggest week of the regular season, then acted out a dance with antisemitic undertones and released an apology, then doubled down on criticism of NFL officiating with a postgame tweet that cost him a $25,000 fine.
A few weeks later, he allegedly bit a woman while intoxicated on New Year’s Eve, leading to a lawsuit he’s battling.
The Rams made it clear to Nacua then: They love his play and his soul, but they don’t condone his actions. Becoming the face of a franchise soon entering a post-Stafford world would require more than broken tackles and touchdown dances. It meant squaring a prolific player with some troubled moments that were starting to define his personality.
It’s a critical job, especially since Davante Adams won’t be around as he ages out of his contract. Young quarterback Ty Simpson will need a veteran rock to rely on soon. It’s all there for Nacua, if he can reach out and grab it.
Nacua isn’t the only Rams player trying to earn an extension right now. He joins defensive tackle Kobie Turner, guards Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson, and outside linebacker Byron Young. So many of them want to stay, but opportunities have become fewer as the team has made blockbuster trades for two of the league’s highest-paid players: All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. In some ways, the chase for contract extensions has become a game of musical chairs.
None of them are as established, as young or as valuable in a premium position as Nacua. His case to the team is inherently different from all of theirs: It isn’t about the play. It’s about making the play feel sustainable, free of costs and burdens.
And so this offseason, Nacua got real with himself and his inner circle. He made a promise to his mother. He took harsh criticism from his brothers. He whittled the circle down, so small at times that it’s him and a team therapist talking, months and emotional stratospheres away from the livestream.
Through four camp practices, Nacua has shown how much the game means to him. He’s not only practicing rather than holding out as stars of his caliber sometimes will, but he’s leading the offense in ways no other skill player can for a team with Super Bowl expectations.
“The game of football is a safe place for me,” Nacua said. “… It never crossed my mind that I don’t want to be out here with these guys.”
The moments have to stack right now. It’s not a running count of catches, scores or accolades that will land Nacua the contract in the Smith-Njigba neighborhood that his play says he deserves. It’ll be a combination of that elite play with a pattern of stable behavior to erase the memories of those times he veered off course.
“You know how much I love him and the heart that he has,” McVay said. “I’ve been really proud of what he’s been doing and how he’s taken accountability for some of the things that we can learn from. I want to just be able to see him continue to be that positive influence, both on the field and off the field. He’s taken those steps, and I am hopeful that we’ll be together for a really long time.
“I don’t know that I can really say this timeline or stuff like that because I don’t think you want to dangle a carrot that way. I think he’s inspired to do right because his heart is right. I think the contract and things like that will take care of itself.”
There is work to be done. Nacua has the lawsuit to resolve, and he might need a payday beyond his fifth-round rookie contract to do so. He and the Rams are waiting to see whether he’ll face discipline from the league under its personal conduct policy, which identifies harmful treatment of women as a factor for review and does not have to wait for or rely on any criminal or civil proceedings to issue a ruling.
Nacua can’t undo the past, but he can learn and grow from it. After all, for what he’s accomplished — like holding the highest average of receiving yards per game (95.3) in NFL history — he is still only 25. He’s learning what it takes to be a Gen-Z superstar in an attention-demanding world for a franchise that requires something more calculated than a livestream.
All of that begins with a promise — to his team, his mother and himself — to make moments like the deep touchdown in practice the ones fans associate with the name Puka Nacua.
“I think continuing some of the things that I was able to establish into my routine, trusting and enclosing my circle of trust, and allowing the people that I feel like have the inside parts of my life to continue to communicate and trust the people who are around me,” Nacua said.
“There have been things that obviously have happened this offseason that haven’t been the truest reflection of the person I feel like I am and how my mother raised me.”
As he exited the practice field Wednesday, the crescendo returned. One by one, the children lining the fences by the stands in Rams jerseys started to shout over each other to grab his attention: “Puuuuka!”
They’re watching his every move. Everyone around the team is these days.
znModeratorFrom The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Rams WR Puka Nacua is focused on improving off the field, which is one reason why a contract extension is more likely to be a discussion for next offseason — not this training camp. pic.twitter.com/yBAuW2rsLo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2026
…
…NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that the Rams and Nacua are unlikely to get a deal done before the regular season begins and that it’s more probable that Nacua and the team will amp up talks next offseason. The reason is that the Rams want to see improvement from Nacua in his personal behavior.
“The Los Angeles Rams, really what they want to see from Puka Nacua is that he is in a better place this year than he was at any point last year,” said Rapoport. “Not even talking about on the field. On the field, he is a superstar. He’s one of the best, if not the best receiver in the NFL and certainly, just based on his play, deserves a huge contract.
“That’s not really what this is about. This is about off the field. This is about him personally, and Puka Nacua mentioned some of it. His work with a therapist, going to rehab, taking accountability for some of the actions that he very well did last year in very public manner. That really is what the Rams want to see, and that is why my understanding of the situation.
“(I) do not expect a Puka Nacua contract extension before the season. Do not. He has one more year left on his deal. The Rams have spent a lot of money in a lot of different places on a lot of different players. I expect that to sort of be the focus this year, and we will see after this year if he ends up getting tagged or a new extension and deal from the Rams.”
znModeratorPARAM
I really like what DraftBuzz had to say about CJ Daniels leading up to the draft: https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/CJ-Daniels-WR-Liberty#google_vignette
It might be if you listed the skills that McVay looks for in a WR, Daniels would have most of them. He sounds like a Ram WR.
znModeratorStu Jackson@StuJRams
When Davante Adams first joined the Rams last year, he described the camaraderie amongst teammates as a college-like atmosphere. I asked Myles Garrett today if he sees it the same way:“It is kind of like that. You hope to have those relationships like you had in college. You had a lot of people coming from a lot of different places for the first time. The culture was set by the head coach and it feels like that now with (head Coach) Sean (McVay). He’s so passionate about the game. He’s so involved in everything from offense, defense to special teams. That kind of thing is infectious. It just feels natural to want to be around the guys and get to know each other because he is that same way.”
znModeratorWarren Sharp@SharpFootball
Seahawks vs Rams aggregate score last 2 years138 points – Seahawks
136 points – Ramsgame scores of:
38-37 (OT)
26-20 (OT)
21-19
31-27
30-25every game decided by 6 or fewer points
best rivalry going in the NFL
znModerator10 Observations from Day 4 of 2026 Rams Training Camp: Practice absence updates; working in situational football; wide receiver core shining
by Stu Jackson & Zach Edwards
LOS ANGELES – The Rams held their fourth and final practice of the first block of training camp on Wednesday. After practice, head coach Sean McVay gave updates on a couple players not participating on Day 4. Wide receivers Puka Nacua and CJ Daniels continued to impress and Jordan Whittington also displayed a solid showing as quarterback Matthew Stafford led the first-team offense and quarterback Stetson Bennett IV continued to lead most of the second-team offense reps. While Stafford remained sharp as he was on Monday, the defense still had some noteworthy moments led the outside linebackers, inside linebacker Nate Landman and cornerback Jaylen Watson.
Senior staff writer Stu Jackson spent the afternoon watching the defense, while staff writer Zach Edwards watched the offense. Here are 10 things that stood out:
Updates on offensive linemen Alaric Jackson and Justin Dedich not participating in practice on Wednesday: Following practice, McVay provided an update on Jackson and Dedich not practicing. “It was nothing to do with fireworks or anything like that with his hand,” McVay said about Dedich. “We’re expecting him to be back in a little bit of time, but it wasn’t anything like that, it was a true accident where something fell on his hand, and so it’s kind of a blunt trauma injury.” As for Jackson, he was “just taking his medicine for some of the stuff with blood clots, so just managing that like what we’ve always been able to do, and this was just part of kind of just how the block situated,” McVay said. “He’s in good shape. It was exclusively just managing, you know, the medicine for the situation he’s dealt with.”
Wide receivers Puka Nacua and CJ Daniels continue to impress, Jordan Whittington nice series as well: After a strong practice on Day 2, Nacua and Daniels both continued to shine with their respective offenses on Day 4. Although Nacua didn’t have the same caliber highlight plays, quarterback Matthew Stafford found him all over the field. Whittington also made a three-play series of catches along the left sideline, the final was a leaping grab over a defender that brought applause from the training camp crowd.
Second-team offensive quarterback reps still led by Stetson Bennett IV, Ty Simpson getting some: Through two practices with Stafford leading the first-team offense, Bennett has taken the majority of the snaps with the second-team, and Simpson has had his fair share as well. “I’ve been really pleased with Stetson Bennett through this first block,” McVay said. “He’s playing the position at a high level. Ty hasn’t gotten quite as many reps, but he’s really improved a lot from the spring until now.”
Two running backs capitalize on drives with receiving touchdowns: It was Déjà vu. Running back Kyren Williams scored on a reception across the middle with the first-team offense. On the ensuing drive with the second-team offense, running back Ronnie Rivers scored in a near identical way. Early on, the running back room has shown their ability to get involved in the pass game, and these two touchdowns were emblematic of that.
Offense in the early phase of implementing situational football: Wednesday was the first practice the Rams implemented some two-minute drill and other situations. It’s something McVay is looking to implement more as training camp moves along. “Today was the first day that we added two-minute,” McVay said. “It’s hard to call sacks, things like that. But I think the overall operation has been pretty good. … We try to be able to just incrementally introduce those types of things so that we, as coaches and players, can think alike in these situations.”
Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart’s speed off the edge stands out: Both outside linebackers were already known for being fast, so while it’s not a new revelation, it is worth nothing because of how they will be able to use that to their advantage when Myles Garrett draws attention and creates 1-on-1 matchups for the rest of the defensive front.
Nate Landman’s signature turnover creator makes an appearance: The inside linebacker punched the football out of Nacua’s grasp as he caught it and turned upfield to cause the incompletion.
A near-interception for cornerback Jaylen Watson: Defending Davante Adams, Watson almost came down with an impressive pick near the sideline, but the closest official ruled it incomplete. (Presumably he had only one feet inbounds instead of two, but was hard to tell from my vantage point.)
Sometimes there’s nothing more you can do: Landman leapt and reached his right arm high to try to deflect a Stafford pass, but Stafford placed the ball just high enough to be inches above Landman’s fingertips to fit into the window for a completion to Nacua.
Defensive end Desjuan Johnson applying pressure: Johnson also deserves a mention for the pressure he generated off the edge on one play that caused a Bennett incompletion. This is a deep and experienced defensive front, and that moment from Johnson reinforces it.
znModeratorNFL Researcher@NFL_Researcher
Offensive 3 and out punt rate in 2025…Best
1. Cowboys – 13.0%
2. Panthers – 15.2%
3. 49ers – 15.3%
4. Rams – 15.5%
5. Falcons – 16.4%Those are offenses that stay on the field. Glad the Rams are one, but…during the regular season the Rams played 4 games against 3 teams on that list, and went 1-3 in those games.
Defense. I wonder if the Rams thought about improving their defense. It could make a big difference.
…
znModeratorStu Jackson@StuJRams
Spent today primarily watching the defense. Kept writing down the speed off the edge from Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart when each was in.The whole defensive front will benefit from the attention Myles Garrett draws, obviously, but that combined with 1-on-1 matchups for BY and Stewart and their speed will be fun to watch
znModeratorNFL Researcher@NFL_Researcher
Offensive 3 and out punt rate in 2025…Best
1. Cowboys – 13.0%
2. Panthers – 15.2%
3. 49ers – 15.3%
4. Rams – 15.5%
5. Falcons – 16.4%znModeratorNate Atkins@NateAtkins_
Alaric Jackson took the day off to manage his medicine with his blood clots issue. Just preventative.Justin Dedich’s hand injury wasn’t related to fireworks, Sean McVay said. Something fell on his hand. It’s in a wrap now.
Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Rams LT Alaric Jackson wasn’t at practice today because he’s taking the medication for his blood clots, Sean McVay says. The timing and pacing of the meds are all part of the team’s plan, the coach says.znModeratorStetson Bennett to CJ Daniels!! #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/2IM05KC2Oi
— Allen Sales (@AllenSales) July 29, 2026
znModeratorSpotlighting the “Blond Bull” on his Birthday
The late Les Josephson was a key piece of the Rams backfield for a decade between 1964-74
The undrafted runner played in 129 games with 65 starts. A sure handed runner for his time and a pro bowler in 1967
Josephson Vs Dallas 1967 pic.twitter.com/PKvxElVIBU
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) July 29, 2026
znModeratorMatthew Stafford just threw a beautiful no look pass to Davante Adams😮💨🔥 pic.twitter.com/RN3g2tL3T9
— Ethan Shirazi (@Ethanshirazi24) July 29, 2026
znModerator.@RamsNFL @BradenFiske_ @TurnerKobie you drill dril drill on your techniques until they become habits and when it pays off in a game…well there is no better feeling!!! @AlPoodie #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/KgTbePRsra
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) July 29, 2026
znModeratorScott Covington. Martz benched him in 2002 after just 5 attempts. He was sacked twice and completed 2 for 7 yards.
Brock Berlin made it through a whole game in 2007. Though, with a qb rating of 60.6.
You’ve always been a Berlin-sniffer. Brock Sterling Berlin was CUT by the Hamburg Sea Devils.
Covington, who, for three years, was third string behind Akili Smith and Scott Mitchell in Cincy, appeared in three whole games. Completing FOUR of FIVE passes. For 23 yards. He also ran the ball twice for minus 4 yards.
And that is totally ignoring his time as an Argo-naut.
w
vPeople flinch at reminders of the old Harris v. Jaworski, Ferragamo v. Haden, and Warner v. Bulger debates.
But those pale in comparison to the devasatation and horror wrought by the old Berlin v. Covington wars.
The humanity….
znModeratorI am not sure…but i think Brock Berlin may have been the worst of all of em
Scott Covington. Martz benched him in 2002 after just 5 attempts. He was sacked twice and completed 2 for 7 yards.
Brock Berlin made it through a whole game in 2007. Though, with a qb rating of 60.6.
znModerator.@RamsNFL @Panthers @AsapPuka the Puka Show to start this game. 3 passes; 3 completions and a TD…Looks too easy. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/sxTtyi9V85
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) July 28, 2026
znModeratorGreg Beacham@gregbeacham
Stafford on Year 6 in McVay’s offense: “There’s some new stuff & there’s some old stuff that’s called something different, or an old word means something new. He’s always keeping me on my toes. Give that guy too much time in the offseason, there’s gonna be tweaks & fun stuff.” -
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