Warren McClendon has more at stake than almost anyone on Rams roster

After stepping in as Rob Havenstein's replacement midway through last season, Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Warren McClendon went from a backup with five career starts to looking like a future franchise pillar. Whether that franchise is the Rams' depends on whether they can afford to pay him.

The former fifth-round pick is entering the final season of his four-year, $4.085 million rookie deal. His next contract could be worth times as much. Rams reporter Nate Atkins of The Athletic observes (subscription required):

"Outside of Nacua, no player has more to gain financially from this season than McClendon. If he can repeat what he did last season — like allowing a sack on just 0.5 percent of passing plays — on a larger sample size, he’ll be in line to join the more than 20 tackles in the NFL making more than $20 million per season."

That's not hyperbole. While defensive tackle Kobie Turner and edge rusher Byron Young are also set for major paydays, they are known commodities, impact players since they entered the league. McClendon can't quite claim the same with 15 NFL starts. Given a standard four-year contract duration, he has an $80 million deal on the line. All he has to do is continue playing at the elite level he did in 2025. 

Rams' Warren McClendon is on the brink of securing the bag

McClendon was indeed elite last season, grading out as PFF's seventh-ranked tackle. In run blocking, he ranked fifth. He also allowed the fourth-lowest pressure rate, 3.1 percent, of any OT in the league. 

As Atkins notes, capable offensive tackles are handsomely paid. McClendon was more than capable last season; he was an underrated star. What he has to do now is prove definitively that his 10 starts in 2025 were not a fluke. If he does that, he will be in for a massive raise.

Ideally the Rams would be able to keep him at right tackle, which is where he played last season. With Alaric Jackson Jr. facing a potential suspension, however, it's possible they flip McClendon to the left side while asking rookie Keagen Trost to hold down the fort on the right, where he spent most of his time in 2025 at Missouri.

That could present McClendon with a learning curve, but either way, performing reasonably well will lead to a pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow. Interestingly enough, 15 left tackles are making at least $20 million per year, according to Spotrac, compared to only six on the right side. While that could be a pure coincidence of talent distribution, hey, maybe having to move over wouldn't be so bad for McClendon, after all. 

The difference between McClendon and other pending Rams free agents eyeing a lucrative extension - Nacua, Turner, Young, right guard Kevin Dotson, and left guard Steve Avila - is his lack of proven performance over multiple seasons. That does nothing to dim the shine on his outstanding play last season, but it ups the stakes from a storyline perspective as fans and front offices wait to see whether he delivers a worthy encore.

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