Turf Show Times
Change is certain for the 2026 Los Angeles Rams.
New faces—Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Myles Garrett, Kliff Kingsbury, and others—bring different skillsets to the table. That ushers in schematic change in order to best deploy their abilities and maximize the potential of offseason acquisitions.
This is a comprehensive (hopefully exhaustive) list of all potential scheme changes coming to the Rams in 2026. We can use this as a guide and check in as we collect more information during training camp and at the start of the regular season.
First, some homework in case you haven’t been following along.
REQUIRED READING:
Matthew Stafford & Terrance Ferguson must fix disconnect
Rams TE’s: Same position, vastly different players
Why Rams may not need a third receiver
Will this be the most divided backfield in Sean McVay era?
How will Rams deploy Trent McDuffie?
Myles Garrett trade signals schematic shift
The rest of the NFL is attempting to catch up to LA’s surprising pivot to 12 and 13 personnel sets a year ago, as evidenced by run-blocking TE’s flying off draft boards earlier than expected this spring. But Sean McVay’s trademark is no longer his offensive play calling—it’s his ability and willingness to adapt. This best shows the growth from McVay’s early years as head coach to who he is now.
Can he stay one step ahead of the copycats?
It’s not necessarily a scheme change to continue what you did a year ago; however, there will be changes in how the Rams utilize their heavier personnel packages. The team is telling us they feel the third receiver position has been devalued. WR#3 played roughly half as many snaps in the playoffs as they did in the regular season last year. Targets also trended along the same line. Despite the need being pretty obvious, LA made minimal investment to move the needle for 2026. One the other hand, they drafted a second-round tight end for the second time in two years.
It sure seems like McVay is doubling down.
The Rams used to (tongue in cheek) say that Cooper Kupp effectively forced defenses to treat their 11 personnel as 11.5 due to his prowess as a WR/TE hybrid. We know LA is probably moving instead towards 12 and 13 personnel, and they have a new WR/TE combination player in Terrance Ferguson.
Can Ferguson develop into a dynamic enough receiver for defenses to treat him more like a wide receiver? Can the Rams accomplish the same result that Kupp gave them in an entirely new style?
This is one of the most significant looming questions from the offseason. A lot is riding on Ferguson.
One coaching staff change that has flown under the radar is LA’s hire of Kliff Kingsbury as an offensive assistant. This was one of our first tea leaves that the Rams could draft a quarterback, and a short...
