Rams fans hoping for starters in preseason opener are in for a surprise

The Los Angeles Rams are about to take the next step to a new 2025 NFL season. The team is about to embark on its first preseason game of a new year, an opportunity to meet and greet the closest thing to a real football game that fans have seen for half a year.

Unlike some NFL teams that use preseason as a means of ramping up the reps, workload, and tolerance for starters and key rotational players, the Rams coaching staff has chosen not to do so. The risk of injury does not make it worth the benefit for the team. And so, if you were hoping to catch a glimpse of starters like NT Poona Ford or WR Davante Adams, you are out of luck.

The Rams had decided long ago that practices with intermittent joint scrimmages with other teams give starting players plenty of reps and work before the season to get aligned with the new season.

So why should the fans watch at all? Much like the motivation of newcomers to the roster, it's the passion for the game. Not everyone who plays in preseason games makes the team. In fact, it's the opposite. So, what should fans prepare for?

Stars continue to shine in Rams Week 1 of preseason

As I look over the box score of the 2024 Week 1 preseason game, many of the top performers from that game didn't make the team. The top rusher for the Rams was veteran RB Boston Scott, who rushed 15 times for 68 yards. He did not make the team. But of the top five receivers of that first game, three are still with the team.

Curiously, the only player to score a touchdown in that game, TE Miller Forristall, also didn't survive the roster cuts.

Preseason games do seem to carry significant weight on the defensive side of the football. It is not until you reach the eighth most productive tackler, OLB Zach VanValkenburg, that you find a player who was left off the team. Ironically, no pass rusher who sacked the quarterback in the first preseason game was spared.

It's a mixed bag for fans. It's not only about seeing who will play well, but trying to connect the dots from solid performances in the preseason to eventual roster decisions. Keep in mind that even early release does not end a young player's career. 16 players who won't make the 53-man can still get work on the practice squad.

Occasionally, fans get a glimpse of who may become future stars for the team. Despite struggling with four interceptions on the afternoon, backup QB Stetson Bennett fought through adversity to lead the team in a thrilling 70-yard touchdown drive in just two minutes and 48 seconds. Looking back, it's likely what salvaged his NFL career.

Don't get swept up in the box scores. Players who perform well do not necessarily end up sticking. They may or may not even come back as a practice squad player. Look for rookies who were selected in the NFL Draft. Look for players competing at a position group that does not seem to have a clear direction of starters just yet. And by all means, look for players who are deep in the first unofficial Rams depth chart to breathe new life into their chances with a good performance.

Preseason games do not feature Rams starters, but occasionally they do feature players who will eventually win a starting role for the team. And it's those players who make the games so entertaining. "It's only preseason" is something that you will hear quite often over the next three weeks. While that is frequently true, it can mean much more to a player.

There is a lot of football to play. There are many decisions to be made. But most of all, Rams football is back. Grab your popcorn and enjoy the show. And as always, thanks so much for reading.

Rams fans hoping for starters in preseason opener are in for a surprise

Stars continue to shine in Rams Week 1 of preseason

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