Grant Stuard is delivering as advertised, and he's just what the Rams need

The Los Angeles Rams signed linebacker Grant Stuard away from Detroit this offseason to bolster their lagging special teams coverage and provide defensive depth at a position of need. They didn't bring him in to be a star or even a non-special teams starter. They brought him in for his specific expertise and his energy, to be a sparkplug Viking, golden locks streaming. 

The golden locks are gone, but Stuard's energy is not. Despite his overlooked role on the team, the sixth-year veteran made his presence felt in training camp:

He's the Tasmanian devil. He's awesome," said Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. "He's exactly what he is out on the field. He's like that all the time. He's been in a lot of systems, too, which has been fun. So he asked really good questions in the room. I think when he goes out there, he elevates the guys around him. He's running to the ball every single day and he's full speed ahead. We love to have him."

Tasmania's fiery marsupial is a perfect fit for Stuard, who himself is becoming a mascot of the Rams' new-look special teams. Frankly, they missed that kind of energetic drive at times last season, and it cost them.

Grant Stuard gives Rams a boost they badly needed

Signing Stuard in free agency, to a flexible two-year, $4.45 million deal, was part of the organization's effort to fix that. In five seasons for the Colts and Lions, he has seen at least 65 percent of available special-teams snaps in the games he's played, in addition to making five starts for Indianapolis in 2024. 

Although he's made a name for himself as an ST specialist, the former Houston Cougar has stepped up when called on defensively. 

"I think one of his starts when he was in Indy, he made 18 tackles and just flying around the field," recalled Shula, who also referenced his familiarity with Stuard's game coming out of Houston, when Shula was LA's linebackers coach.

"He's exactly the same player he was there. … He just brings a great energy, great toughness, and he's like that every single day."

Actually, Coach, it was 19 tackles in that Colts win over Miami in October 2024, in which Stuard logged 87 snaps between defense and special teams. Tasmanian devil sounds about right.

The vast majority of his career defensive snaps came during that season in Indianapolis. Stuard will likely remain mainly a special-teams weapon in LA. At linebacker, Shaun Dolac, another ST contributor, figures to be next man up behind projected starters Nate Landman and Omar Speights. Undrafted rookie Nikhai Hill-Green could claw his way onto the roster.

That doesn't mean the Rams won't find additional opportunities for Stuard, particularly on passing downs. In dime sets, for example, his speed and quickness at 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds can function almost like a defensive back's. 

On special teams, where fans will see him most often, expect Stuard to make plays all over. He might be less readily noticeable without his blazing shock of hair, but his energy will set him apart. Just look for the compact fiend streaking down the numbers in punt coverage. 

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