3 Los Angeles Rams players with everything to lose in the 2024 NFL season

The Los Angeles Rams do have some players in interesting spots in 2024, and these three may actually have everything to lose in the upcoming season. There is a lot to like about the 2024 Los Angeles Rams. This team has a wonderful mix of young and more veteran talent on both sides of the ball.

Rams GM Les Snead has done a marvelous job at building this team up for success in the present and the future. However, this does not mean that there won't be some major changes on the horizon. Could these three crucial Rams players have everything to lose in the 2024 NFL Season?

3 LA Rams players with everything to lose in the 2024 NFL season

So who might it be? While your first guess might be rookie prospects who fail to perform to lofty expectations, I see things from a different angle. Veteran players who have earned hefty paydays must now continue to perform at those levels. So who must 'prove' to be bargain priced even as they climb over the 30-year-old hill? These three player cometo mind:

Matthew Stafford, QB

Matthew Stafford is entering his age-36 season and could be down to the final year or so of his NFL career. He's been banged up for most of his career but has often stayed in the lineup. We saw a shaky Stafford in 2022 as he dealt with injuries, and I am sure some thought that the 2022 season could have been the beginning of the end. Well, Stafford returned in 2023 and played quite well, helping lead the Rams to 10 wins and a playoff berth.

However, Father Time is undefeated, so it could be creeping up on Stafford. Moreover, the Rams could justify actually cutting Stafford after the 2024 NFL Season. They'd have to take on a dead cap hit of over $26 million and would save $23 million in cap space. It wouldn't be an impossible move to make by any means, and Stafford's scary injury history might come to a boil in 2024.

I personally do not think it does, but we have seen QBs regress in their 30s, most recently with Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, and Ryan Tannehill. Let's hope it's not Stafford, but it very well could be. This could lead the LA Rams to make a very tough decision and actually cut him outright next offseason.

Cooper Kupp, WR

Cooper Kupp is 31 years old and has played just 21 out of the last 34 regular season games. His yards per game has also fallen from 114.5 in 2021, 90.2 in 2022, to just 61.4 in 2023. That number is the second-lowest of his NFL career.

Folks, Cooper Kupp seems to be declining rapidly, and his performance in 2024 might not justify his contract anymore. Kupp still managed 737 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, but with the team surely wanting to head to more of a younger corps of players, Kupp could be an odd-man out.

His cap his is nearly $30 million in 2024, so he's taking up a huge chunk of the Rams cap space. Next offseason, the team could cut Kupp, take on over $14 million in dead money and could save $15 million in cap space. While the numbers aren't perfect, an outright release is possible, much like it is for Matthew Stafford.

I understand why Los Angeles Rams fans would feel emotionally connected to guys like Stafford and Kupp, but the end is near for these players on the team. General Manager Les Snead has done a nice job at bringing in young talent in recent seasons, and guys like Stafford and Kupp are not immune from being a part of this rapid change.

Rob Havenstein, RT

Another player who fits this criteria is long-time right tackle Rob Havenstein, who has been solid his entire career. With the team since 2015, Havenstein is now in the 10th year of his NFL career. He's played and started in 130 regular season games and has held down the right side of the Rams offensive line for a while now.

Well, the 32-year-old Havestein could be a part of the roster changes for the LA Rams in the future. His contract is very moveable after this season, and while many offensive linemen do still find success well into his 30s, Havenstein could see his production dip in 2024.

In many instances, teams will part ways with aging veterans to save some money and to get younger. It's not like Havenstein is a liability out there; he isn't, but the LA Rams need to continue getting ahead of some of their opponents, so it would not surprise me to see a veteran like Havenstein hit the open market in 2025.