The Los Angeles Rams defense enjoyed another year of impressive development under defensive coordinator Chris Shula. The unit finished 10th in points allowed, fifth in takeaways and the run defense went from one of the worst in the league a year ago to 12th in 2025.
While some teams see lots of year-over-year turnover when contracts expire and players leave in free agency, the Rams’ defense is slated to be among the most intact in the NFL heading into 2026. According to ESPN’s Mike Clay, 81% of the Rams’ defensive snaps in 2025 are still under contract. That number is tied for fourth-most in the league.
A lot of this retention stems from rookie deals and other well-constructed contracts.
Key defensive stars like Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Young, Braden Fiske and Kamren Kinchens are all still on their first contracts. Turner, Young and Fiske, though, are eligible for new deals this offseason.
Meanwhile, the Rams recently re-signed starting safety Quentin Lake and inside linebacker Nate Landman to new deals, and veterans Omar Speights and Poona Ford remain under contract.
The biggest question marks contractually on the defense come in the secondary. Cornerbacks Roger McCreary, Cobie Durant and Akhello Witherspoon are all impending free agents, as well as safety Kamren Curl. Those four combined for 2.142 snaps in 2025, mostly from Kurl (who led the team with 1,112 snaps) and Durant (who ranked sixth on the team with 819).
This is still a great position to be in for L.A. The Rams won’t need to overhaul the defense if they can’t keep all of their impending free agents and will only need to replace one or two starters if L.A. lets them walk in free agency.
However, the bill will ring due soon enough for the Rams’ defense in the coming years.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Most of Rams defense is still under contract for 2026
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
