31 NFL teams have reason to fear Rams formidable four-headed Hydra in 2026

While NFL analysts continue to poke and prod the Los Angeles Rams over a draft class that failed to meet their expectations, they are missing the point. Much like a magician, LA's prestidigitation has NFL analysts distracted by the wrong activity. The 2026 NFL draft was never going to become the barometer for success in 2026.

The offensive coaching staff changes in the offseason are where the action is.

The team has lost offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who is the new head coach for the Arizona Cardinals. In his place, Los Angeles has promoted and hired on the foundation for an offensive brain trust, the likes of which has never been formed in the NFL since the Washington Commanders boasted Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, and Mike McDaniel.

The coaching staff continues to be led by head coach Sean McVay. But he has finally landed long-time friend Kliff Kingsbury. The offense just promoted Nate Scheelhaase to offensive coordinator, and quarterback coach Dave Ragone was surprisingly promoted to associate offensive coordinator.

Now that the roster is nearly set, let's dissect and analyze this new LA offensive consortium.

Rams will terrorize NFL with four-headed offensive Hydra

1. Associate offensive coordinator Dave Ragone

The promotion of former quarterback coach Dave Ragone coincides with the team investing heavily in the future. Not only is Stetson Bennett the default primary backup quarterback to veteran Matthew Stafford, but the arrival of rookies Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell just filled Ragone's workload for the entire season.

Dave Ragone is an accomplished quarterback whisperer who must now turn his attention to coaching up both Simpson and Caldwell into NFL-level players. He worked wonders with Stetson Bennett. Let's see how he does in 2026.

2. Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase

A miracle-worker at Iowa State, Nate Scheelhaase is a hot name in the NFL right now. He pushed the Cyclones' offense to dominate defenses in the red zone, while helping San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to showcase his raw talents. It's that ability to communcate with young quarterbacks that makes Scheelhaase incredible dangerous in 2026.

3. Assistant head coach Kliff Kingsbury

If head coach Sean McVay is the king of the pocket passer, Kliff Kingsbury is the master of the mobile quarterback. Keep in mind that Kingsbury joined LA's coaching staff while the team was starting down the barrel of a quarterback room stocked with Matthew Stafford and Stetson Bennett.

Now, the team has added Ty Simpson and Matthew Caldwell. Simpson is described as a mobile pocket passer, while Caldwell is a traditional pocket passer.

As the Arizona Cardinals head coach, Kingsbury's offense finished 16th, 13th, 11th, and 21st over the span of 2019 through 2022. The offense dipped in 2022 due to a significant number of injuries. At its peak, the Cardinals offense was incredibly balanced in 2021, ranking 10th in both rushing and passing yards.

4. Head coach Sean McVay.

Because he has the oversight of the entire team, McVay is less of an offensive innovator and more of a collaborator now. But he recognizes what works in the NFL, as his heavy use of both 12- and 13-personnel packages demonstrated in 2025.

McVay is the top dog of the offense, and he continues to call the plays on game day. Changes to the roster and coaching staff will inevitably manifest in a different offensive playbook on game day. What is so exciting for fans is the fact that this offense is the returning top scorer from 2025.

And with the changes in 2026, it may be even more productive.

As always, thanks for reading.

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