The Los Angeles Rams are headed to the NFC Divisional after beating the Carolina Panthers in the wildcard, 34-31.
LA’s defense gave up over 300 total yards in the win over Carolina, with 264 of those yards being through the air by Bryce Young.
The Rams will face the Chicago Bears in the divisional round, who have one of the better passing offenses under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears averaged 225.1 pass yards per game in the regular season, the 10th-highest in the league.
While Los Angeles still has more football to play, it is never too early to start making predictions for the offseason.
One NFL writer believes the Rams will make a blockbuster trade ahead of the Super Bowl that will add a key player.
Acquiring Two-Time All-Pro Defender
GettyRams could add some secondary help in the offseason
In a defense with a stellar defensive line headlined by Pro Bowl EDGE rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young, the Rams’ secondary is the one key weakness LA has.
The Los Angeles pass defense was average at best in the 2025 regular season, allowing 216.7 pass yards per game, the 14th-highest in the league.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine predicts that the Rams will make a blockbuster trade and acquire Kansas City Chiefs‘ cornerback Trent McDuffie.
“The Los Angeles Rams are still alive in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy, but giving up a combined 215 yards on 14 catches to [wide receivers] Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan on Wild-Card Weekend reveals how desperately the Rams need a shutdown corner,” Ballentine wrote. “Their need for a cover man could be the Achilles heel that keeps them from winning a championship.”
“We know that general manager Les Snead is not one to sit on his hands to address a need. Snead has a long track record of trading picks for star players. They also happen to have two first-round picks…McDuffie is an ideal defensive back to anchor a secondary. His ability to play press-man coverage, combined with his positional versatility, is relatively unique. The Rams have $81.5 million in cap space, meaning they could make the trade for McDuffie, then sign him to a deal that would reset the cornerback market.”
The Athletic staff mentioned that the Chiefs could move on from the defender to save the team cap space and not to worry about extending the player after failed negotiations before the start of the season.
Adding McDuffie would give the Rams the CB1 they were looking for before the start of the 2025-26 season. The cornerback has recorded 34 pass deflections, 3 interceptions and 246 total tackles in his career so far.
Matthew Stafford has not given a clear answer whether he will continue to play or retire, so the Rams should try to reinforce the group in a small way to encourage the quarterback to continue playing.
Ballentine proposes the Rams will trade away one of their first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for McDuffie, likely the Rams orginal pick, which is currently in the 20 area.
Locking Down Trent McDuffie
GettyKansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie could be gone this offseason
Adding the star cornerback to the Los Angeles Rams would eliminate the one major weakness on defense.
As mentioned, Jared Verse and Byron Young will pose threats to any offensive line in the league off the edge. Kobie Turner continues to be a threat coming down the middle — all players mentioned are still on rookie contracts.
The Rams have found a bright spot in linebacker Nate Landman, who signed for a veteran minimum deal in the 2025 offseason before agreeing to a $22.5 million contract extension to remain with the team.
Safety Quentin Lake also signed a three-year extension worth $42 million, who has been one of the Rams’ most consistent defenders since being drafted.
Locking down Trent McDuffie for the next three to five years would give Los Angeles a solid, young defense to make themselves Super Bowl contenders.
Rams Urged To Acquire All-Pro Super Bowl Winner In Blockbuster Trade