According to Les Snead, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, and Cooper Kupp will return to Los Angeles in 2024.
The Los Angeles Rams were expected to use 2023 as a bye year after gambling with their future to try and win a Super Bowl, which they would eventually win at the end of 2021. The Rams entered the season ranked among the worst teams in the NFL by many publications due to their three aging stars, a head coach who appeared to be on the verge of leaving, and a dearth of draft capital. But this is also the reason why games aren’t played on paper.
All three of those aging stars were back, and they all performed passably. It was Aaron Donald’s eighth selection to the First Team All-Pro. After recovering from a serious knee injury, Cooper Kupp quickly reestablished his position in the Rams offense. And in LA’s Wild Card Round loss to the Detroit Lions, the team’s eldest player, Matthew Stafford, turned in one of his best performances to date. The Rams front office should therefore be thrilled about the possibility of these three players returning for another season in 2024, and that is precisely what Rams General Manager Les Snead is hoping for.
The Rams are thrilled to hear that news. Fantastic news also: Sean McVay, the head coach who appeared to be on his way out, has returned and acknowledged that the Rams team of this season has been instrumental in “helping him find his way.” And the deficiency of draft funds? LA has managed to add youthful, late-round picks to bolster their roster. They have identified quality starters in Byron Young (3rd round pick in 2023), Jordan Fuller (6th round pick in 2020), Ernest Jones (3rd round pick in 2021), Quentin Lake (6th round pick in 2022), Russ Yeast (7th round pick in 2022), and Kobie Turner (3rd round pick in 2023). They have also identified legitimate stars in Puka Nacua (5th round pick in 2023) and Kyren Williams (5th round pick in 2022).