Rams’ preseason plans hit detour that could lead straight to an old rival

The Los Angeles Rams use scrimmages, and not preseason games, to get their starters meaningful reps in a more controlled manner. It's the view of the team's coaching staff that it helps to mitigate injuries. And so, the team has developed a series of joint practice/scrimmage sessions to afford quality reps to starting players. But when a team bows out of those events, it leaves the Rams in a pinch.

The Rams had scheduled a joint practice/scrimmage with the Los Angeles Chargers for Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Chargers are unable to honor that agreement, as they indicated their team is simply too banged up to make it worthwhile. That creates a slight problem.

As it just so happens, the solution might just be as easy as calling an old NFC South rival and perennial adversary, the New Orleans Saints.

With Chargers a no-go, Rams should let the Saints come marching in

The Saints are in the Los Angeles area after dropping their first preseason game to the Chargers. They hold training camp at the University of California, Irvine, making them an ideal replacement opponent after the Rams’ plans for a joint practice with the Chargers fell through.

In a press conference detailing the sudden change of plans, Rams HC Sean McVay hinted that holding a joint scrimmage with the Saints is "more likely than not."

One of the main benefits of scrimmaging with the Saints is the chance to see their young quarterbacks up close. Both Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough were linked to the Rams in their respective drafts, and this gives Los Angeles an opportunity to further evaluate both players for future reference.

Based on the consensus of NFL analysts, the Saints could very well head into the 2026 NFL Draft holding the first overall pick. If that happens, it’s unlikely they’ll keep both Rattler and Shough if they plan to draft a new rookie quarterback. Should the Rams like what they see from either, they might be inclined to make an offer when the time comes.

The Rams need to add a new sparring partner, and the Saints make a logical choice. Let's hope for the best. And as always, thanks for reading.

Why not check out some other Rams schedule articles