The Los Angeles Rams have few acceptable excuses to not win, or at least appear in, the Super Bowl.
They return the reigning NFL MVP, the league’s reception leader and an offense that averaged an NFL-best 30.5 points per game last season.
That’s not to mention acquiring Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to strengthen a defense that had already helped carry them to the NFC Championship Game.
The expectations make sense.
The problem is, they also place Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua in a difficult position.
If the team isn’t a No. 1 seed and goes deep into the playoffs and loses, it’s a failure. Even if the Rams are the No.1 seed, and get through the NFC to the Super Bowl, they have to win it.
Similarly, big statistical years don’t matter if you can’t win the big one.
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Rams a league-high 14.9% chance to win Super Bowl LXI, while DraftKings lists them at +550, ahead of every other team.
The prediction markets offer a similar verdict.
As of 9:38 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Kalshi gave Los Angeles a market-leading 15% chance to win the 2027 pro football championship, while Polymarket placed the Rams at 16%, also ahead of every other team.
Los Angeles seemed built for February, and anything less than a Super Bowl appearance will invite questions about post-Stafford McVay.
Stafford, Nacua Must Follow Career Years With Another Run
Stafford gave the Rams nearly everything they had in 2025.
He led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes, threw eight interceptions and won his first MVP award at 37.
Nacua caught a league-high 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, giving Stafford a target who could control games from every level of the field.
The Rams still finished 12-5 and entered the postseason as a wild-card team, and they did need a late touchdown drive to escape Carolina in the opening round.
Their season ended with a 31-27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
Stafford and Nacua produced at a historic level, yet Los Angeles still finished one victory short of the Super Bowl.
If this year is not the one, having such an advantage is winding down.
Stafford is entering his age-38 season and Year 18 in the NFL.
The Rams rewarded him with a one-year, $55 million extension that can reach $60 million, keeping him under contract through 2027.
Nacua has become the offense’s weekly answer when protection breaks down, the running game stalls or defenses take away the first design.
But it’s easy to wonder what his production looks like with a younger quarterback or a less-effective veteran who isn’t a wizard like Stafford.
Rams’ Loaded Roster Raises the Cost of Falling Short
The Rams gave their stars more help.
Myles Garrett arrives after another Defensive Player of the Year season, while Davante Adams and Kyren Williams remain major pieces around Stafford and Nacua.
Los Angeles also selected Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick, giving the organization a potential succession plan without forcing the rookie into the lineup.
The Rams were already good enough to reach the final four before adding Garrett.
They were already the NFL’s highest-scoring offense before Stafford signed his extension.
Nacua had already established himself among the league’s best receivers before entering his fourth season.
The time is now with the NFL’s best roster.
And every mistake that hurts their chances is amplified further.
Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua Have Little Room for Error