The Los Angeles Rams are preparing to spend heavily on contract extensions for Puka Nacua and the core of their 2023 NFL Draft class this offseason, per ESPN’s Sarah Bishop. All five extension-eligible players from that class enter the final year of their four-year rookie deals in 2026. The front office faces a compressed window to lock up key contributors before they reach the open market.
These decisions carry significant salary cap implications. General manager Les Snead built the Super Bowl LVI title team on aggressive contract maneuvering — void years, signing bonus proration, pay-as-you-go structures. This cycle, the approach leans inward: extend proven contributors rather than chase free-agent additions.
Why the Rams Are Prioritizing Internal Extensions
Bishop’s reporting frames this offseason as an extension cycle rather than an acquisition cycle. The Rams’ 2023 draft class is entering its final contract year simultaneously, creating a concentrated retention challenge. Retaining homegrown talent at pre-market rates is structurally sound under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, where rookie deals suppress costs for four years before players earn leverage.
Snead has operated this way throughout his tenure. Outside free agents command market-rate contracts with no team discount. Players already inside McVay’s system carry scheme familiarity that external talent cannot replicate immediately. McVay’s west-coast run-pass option scheme demands precise route runners who understand pre-snap alignment. That knowledge has tangible value.
A counterargument exists. Extensions negotiated before a player tests the open market can occasionally overpay relative to what that market would actually bear. If a receiver’s value is lower than anticipated, a long-term deal costs the franchise flexibility. Based on available production data, however, Nacua’s output places him firmly among receivers who command substantial second contracts across the league.
Puka Nacua and the 2023 Draft Class: Who Gets Paid?
Nacua leads the extension list. Offensive lineman Warren McClendon is also eligible but is considered less central to the team’s immediate priorities. The remaining four players from the class — beyond McClendon — are expected to absorb the bulk of the Rams’ negotiating attention and cap allocation.
Nacua’s target share and yards-after-catch production in his first two NFL seasons established him as a legitimate WR1 candidate. The club has cycled through Cooper Kupp’s injury-interrupted availability, making a reliable second receiving option essential. Film study shows a receiver who wins at the intermediate level with precise route running and strong hands in traffic — traits that age well across scheme variations. His deal will likely benchmark against recent slot-and-outside hybrid contracts signed across the NFC.
The franchise has followed this pattern across multiple draft cycles. Kupp’s extension, Jalen Ramsey’s restructure, and Aaron Donald’s repeated renegotiations all followed the same internal-first logic. The 2023 class extensions represent the next iteration of that organizational discipline.
Key Developments in the Rams’ 2026 Offseason Strategy
Nacua is the top extension priority for the club this offseason, per Bishop, with negotiations expected to intensify before the 2026 league year opens.
All five players from the 2023 draft class are in the final year of their rookie contracts in 2026, creating simultaneous cap pressure across multiple roster spots.
McClendon is eligible alongside the other 2023 picks, but primary focus is directed toward the other four players in that class.
Bishop projects the club will avoid large external free-agent acquisitions, channeling available cap space toward internal retention.
Players who do not receive extensions before the 2026 season concludes will become unrestricted free agents eligible to negotiate with all 32 teams in 2027.
Salary Cap Consequences and Roster-Wide Ripple Effects
Snead must structure multiple extensions simultaneously without triggering dead-money exposure that hampers future flexibility. Extending several players from the same draft class in a compressed window requires careful sequencing. The front office must determine which deals to finalize first based on positional scarcity and each player’s appetite to sign before testing free agency.
Under the NFL’s current CBA, fifth-year options apply only to first-round picks. Players drafted outside the first round — as several 2023 class members were — carry no such mechanism. Their leverage arrives precisely now, when the club must extend or accept the risk of losing them for nothing beyond a potential compensatory selection. The Rams have favored mid-round value in recent drafts, which means this offseason’s extension negotiations carry outsized financial weight relative to the draft capital originally invested.
Teams that allow multiple contributors from the same draft class to reach free agency simultaneously often face a talent drain requiring two to three years to repair through the draft. The Rams carry the institutional memory of watching their 2021 championship window close rapidly due to cap constraints. Locking up Nacua and his classmates now, even at a premium, preserves continuity within McVay’s offensive scheme at a fraction of the cost of replacing them externally.
On defense, coordinator Chris Shula must balance cap allocation directed toward the 2023 offensive class against the need to address pass-rush depth and secondary continuity. Cap dollars committed to offensive extensions constrain the defensive roster budget, forcing the front office to identify cost-efficient contributors through the draft and the waiver wire. The NFC West has grown more competitive — San Francisco, Seattle, and Arizona have all invested aggressively in roster construction — which means the Rams cannot afford defensive regression while navigating this extension cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Los Angeles Rams players are eligible for contract extensions in 2026?
All five players from the Rams’ 2023 NFL Draft class are entering the final year of their four-year rookie deals in 2026, making them extension-eligible. Puka Nacua and Warren McClendon are among those eligible, with Nacua identified as the top priority.
Why is Puka Nacua considered the Rams’ top extension priority?
Nacua’s target share and yards-after-catch production in his first two NFL seasons established him as a legitimate WR1 candidate on the roster. With Cooper Kupp’s availability interrupted by injury in recent seasons, the club views Nacua as a long-term cornerstone of McVay’s passing attack.
How do the Rams typically structure contract extensions?
The Rams under Les Snead have historically used void years, signing bonus proration, and restructured deals to manage cap space. This approach allowed the franchise to sustain roster quality through and after the Super Bowl LVI championship run, and is expected to shape the 2026 extension negotiations as well.
What happens if the Rams do not extend their 2023 draft class players?
Players who do not receive extensions before the conclusion of the 2026 season will become unrestricted free agents in 2027, able to negotiate with all 32 NFL teams. The Rams would receive compensatory draft picks in some cases, but would lose the players’ services and scheme familiarity.
Jake Whitmore is a small-town Texas reporter who worked his way up from covering Friday night high school football to the NFL. With over nine years in sports journalism, Jake writes like he is talking to fans at a tailgate -- direct, passionate, and full of the enthusiasm that makes football Sundays special. He covers game previews, roster moves, and the fan perspective on every major NFL storyline.
