5 Rams who won't be back next season after NFC Championship loss

The Los Angeles Rams went from dreaming about yet another Super Bowl appearance to regrouping and strategizing how best to proceed in the 2026 NFL Draft and the upcoming free agency market, as the Seattle Seahawks were able to knock them out of the playoff picture.

The Rams are not a team that can afford to fail in the 2026 offseason, as the speed at which the NFC West has improved around them requires them to make the right judgment calls as they try to trim some of the fat off their roster and contend again next year.

These five players stand out as players the Rams may be better off kicking out of town in the name of finding someone who could be both more cost-effective and a slight upgrade in some key areas.

5 Rams who won't be back after NFC Championship Game Loss

5. CB Roger McCreary

McCreary was acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans in the middle of the season. Unfortunately, he barely made an impact in LA, although general manager Les Snead surrendered NFL Draft capital to acquire him. He didn't play enough to move the needle. This move just didn't work out, and there's no reason to try this out again next year.

4. CB Ahkello Witherspoon

Witherspoon has provided solid veteran depth in the last few seasons, but the defense started to show a fairly hard ceiling in the last couple of weeks, and a more systematic purge of the backups could lead to Witherspoon losing his role in Chris Shula's unit.

3. WR Tutu Atwell

Atwell signed a surprising second contract with the Rams, and he rewarded their trust in him by failing even to catch 10 passes and remaining inactive for most of the 2025 season. Between that and the Rams' depth at wide receiver, his departure seems like a matter of time.

2. TE Tyler Higbee

Higbee already has a replacement lined up, as rookie Terrance Ferguson is in place and ready to vacuum up targets as one of Stafford's top targets. Higbee is getting a little long in the tooth, and he seems to be a way to save some money on the offensive side of the ball.

1. RT Rob Havenstein

With the Rams in a position to snag a top tackle like Miami's Francis Mauigoa or Utah's Spencer Fano in the 2026 NFL Draft, LA can move off a player who has had nothing but years of meritorious service. However, Havenstein's production has declined in recent years.