Who will be the next LA Rams player to sign a huge payday?

Why WR Van Jefferson may be the next big Rams payday

The LA Rams may need another option to target in the passing game besides veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp, but that is not why I believe that wide receiver Van Jefferson puts up huge numbers and gets paid. Rather, he has struggled to fend off nagging injuries, and I believe that he does exactly that this season.

Jefferson is a swift 6-foot-1 200-pound receiver who can stretch the field, run a solid route tree, and pile on the yards. While his NFL career completion rate of just over 56 percent, keep in mind that he has been fighting injuries, and he was not on the receiving end of a single Matthew Stafford pass during the 2022 NFL season.

Stafford to Jefferson?

There is something to be said about having both quarterback Matthew Stafford and WR Van Jefferson healthy at the same time.

The LA Rams love to throw the football, and of all the receivers on the Rams roster, only Van Jefferson's body of work is arguably second to Cooper Kupp. Does that mean that he is a lock to attract the second-most throws on the offense? No. But it does mean that there is a history and a trust to build upon that has been the determining factor for the Rams' offense in the past.

Even as the third option, Van Jefferson put up over 800 yards and six touchdowns in the 2021 NFL season. I'm comfortable projecting him to establish a far better chemistry with Matthew Stafford in training camp that leads to an 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns season. Will that be enough to land him a huge paying contract in the offseason? Well, he hits the prime of his NFL career, so if not now then never. But the Rams do love to retain key receivers, so keep Van Jefferson on your radar.