Rams safety Kamren Kinchens may be set up for a bounce-back breakout season in 2026. And the reason why starts with the new players around him.
The Athletic’s Nate Atkins laid out a good theory as to why Kinchens could enjoy the best season of his young career, three years after L.A. drafted him in the third round.
Atkins writes that Kinchens could benefit from the Rams’ recent additions of cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. He noted that while Kinchens excelled as a rookie with four interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a defensive score in 2024, his production dipped in 2025 despite an increase in snaps.
Kinchens was left too often to be the eraser for all the mistakes at outside cornerback, where slender and younger players became targets for physical receivers and stretch run plays. As such, the Rams decreased Kinchens’ playing time down the stretch to lean on physical and experienced safeties such as Quentin Lake and Kam Curl to stop the bleeding.
The environment is simply different this season. McDuffie and Watson add not just physical coverage players to the two outside spots but also elite run defenders. Their additions can give Kinchens and the Rams coaching staff the confidence to deploy the free safety more in ways that play to his strengths, which are his coverage instincts and ball skills. And with the arrival of Garrett, the reigning all-time single-season sack leader, Kinchens should be able to play downhill on tips and overthrows from distressed quarterbacks, which can help him get back to the turnover creation that made him exciting as a rookie.
Kinchens is only 23 with a bevy of experience already on his plate. So, now, he’s being set up for more success in his third year under defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Lake and Curl are back in 2026 as well, so Kinchens will continue to learn from his peers while also getting the chance to play with better cornerbacks on the outside.
That’s a good recipe for success, and it also points to some exciting ripple effects from three of the biggest moves the Rams made this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams insider explains why third-year safety could break out in 2026
Reporting by Oliver G., Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
