Joe Cardona's contract details make the Rams’ big gamble look like a safe bet

The troubles that plagued the Los Angeles Rams special teams in 2025 cost the team several victories. The impact of those losses cascaded, turning the small snowball of errors into an avalanche of disappointment and struggles. The team could not spend enough to fix the problem permanently mid-season.

But general manager Les Snead hopes that long snapper Joe Cardona is the answer for 2026.

Even as the team tapped familiar veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide to step in last season, he was a bridge solution whom the coaching staff trusted. The persuasive concept that made McQuaide enviable to bring back for 2026 was his veteran leadership and affordable cost.

It never occurred to fans that general manager Les Snead could check both of those boxes while upgrading the position even further.

Joe Cordoina is a veteran of 11 seasons. He is a dependable long snapper who can autonomously call blocking assignments on the line of scrimmage. He is even a solid tackler, generating 10 tackles in the last three seasons on coverage units. The entire combination of Alex Ward and Jake McQuaide could only must two tackles over that same period.

Best of all, reports hint that Cardona has agreed to a two-year deal worth just $3.45 million.

Joe Cardona is a bargain for the Rams at twice the price

Of course, the LA Rams agreed to compensate long snapper Joe Cardona at the fair market value for NFL long snappers. Because their role is limited in terms of the number of snaps per game, the compensation compares as small when held up to the price paid for more demanding positions like cornerback or quarterback.

But the absence of quality production at the long snapper position can be just as disastrous to LA's chances of success. The 2025 NFL season proved that point, quite painfully.

If Cardona is indeed the solution, he would be a true bargain at twice the price. After all, the hope with his track record not only gives fans hope for mistake-free field goals, but also much better coverage on punts. If Cardona can repeat his multiple tackles in Horns, that can be viewed as a major success in terms of free agent signings.

Perhaps that is Les Snead's true superpower. He needn't find All-Pro talent at every position. But chipping away with new faces who add just a little bit more to the roster with each signing leads to significant improvements in the aggregate.

Snead is just getting started. Time to sit back and enjoy the show.

As always, thanks for reading.