SEATTLE — Now that the Rams’ season is over, they will begin deciding when to offer extensions to key players such as receiver Puka Nacua, defensive lineman Kobie Turner, edge rusher Byron Young and offensive lineman Steve Avila.
But there are much more pressing contracts to consider. Like the one for the most important person in the organization: coach Sean McVay.
And the one for the second-most important person: general manager Les Snead.
McVay and Snead are entering the final years of their contracts, as is chief operating officer Tony Pastoors. And if the Rams want to continue their run of success, they should make sure McVay and Snead continue their nine-year partnership.
McVay, 40, has led the Rams to two Super Bowls, winning one, and seven playoff appearances since they hired him in 2017. He can name his price, and almost certainly will become the NFL’s highest-paid coach.
He earned $15 million this season, according to Sportico, which tied for sixth behind Andy Reid ($20 million), Sean Payton ($18 million), John Harbaugh ($17 million), Mike Tomlin ($16 million) and Jim Harbaugh ($16 million).
Snead, 55, became the general manager in 2012. He survived the firing of coach Jeff Fisher after the 2016 season and has become one of the NFL’s most forward-thinking executives.
The Rams gave McVay and Snead extensions after Super Bowl appearances in the 2018 and 2021 seasons. Both had offers on the table before this season but put off signing new deals.
McVay flirted with leaving coaching for broadcasting, at least temporarily, because of burnout after the 2021 championship season spilled into a miserable 2022. But he has since said he was renewed and refreshed — and there are no marquee broadcast jobs open at the moment.
Snead is a scouting and player personnel lifer but also something of a renaissance man. At some point he might seek a new journey.
Pastoors has made all of their dreams work from a salary-cap perspective and mentored contracts executive Matthew Shearin.
After their victory in Super Bowl LVI, the Rams gave out big extensions or raises to quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. They pulled back financially following their historic Super Bowl hangover the next season, opting for a “remodel,” as Snead called it, in 2023.
That cleared cap space and enabled the Rams to begin rebuilding the roster, which blossomed this season with third-year stars such as Nacua and veterans such as Stafford and Davante Adams.
The Rams did not wait for the end of the season to lock up key members of their core.
During training camp they re-signed running back Kyren Williams to a three-year deal that includes about $23 million in guarantees. In November they extended linebacker Nate Landman for three years with nearly $16 million in guarantees. In January they re-signed safety Quentin Lake for three years and more than $25 million guaranteed.
The Rams are projected to have $46.5 million in cap space, according to Overthecap.com.
Nacua is due for a monster extension, and Turner, Young and Avila also figure to get paid. And if Stafford returns for an 18th season, after his MVP-caliber performance, he no doubt will demand a raise.
But first the Rams should lock up the team that built this team: McVay and Snead.
