The NFL’s latest star-studded powerhouse is not shying away from the spotlight — or the pressure that comes with being viewed as a top Super Bowl contender.
That confidence was on full display Thursday night at YouTube Theater, where the Los Angeles Rams introduced their new uniforms before a lively crowd of season ticket holders. Among the biggest draws was the team’s newest blockbuster addition, reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who made it clear the Rams are ready for a fight.
Asked which NFC West opponent he was most eager to face this season, Garrett did not hesitate. His attention immediately turned up the coast toward the Pacific Northwest and the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
“I want the champs,” Garrett said, drawing a loud reaction from the crowd. “They won it all, and I’ve got to see what that’s about. They feel like they’ve got the pieces to run it back, and I feel like we’ve got the pieces to take over.”
With Los Angeles assembling one of the most talented Rams rosters in years, MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford said he understands the expectations. After a decade of the franchise competing in the demanding Los Angeles market following its move from St. Louis, Stafford said the challenge is exactly what makes the job exciting.
The Rams have leaned into this kind of all-in strategy before. In 2021, Los Angeles surrounded its core with high-profile names such as Odell Beckham Jr., Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey and Eric Weddle, a push that helped deliver the franchise’s first Super Bowl title since returning to L.A. five years earlier. That championship was captured at SoFi Stadium, the same venue set to host this season’s Super Bowl.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that you have to go out and earn it every day,” Stafford said. “And that’s really the fun part, is getting to earn that, right? Not sitting here and talking about it, seeing what we look like on paper. So, well OK, let’s go out there and pump the football up, and see if we can score some points and stop some people. That’s kind of where my head’s at.”
Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams model the Rams’ new Classic Sol uniforms. (Photo courtesy of the Rams.)
Rams team president Kevin Demoff addressed the most pressing question this offseason of defensive game wrecker Aaron Donald potentially returning, saying the franchise will continue to take a patient approach in the possibility of the four-time Defensive Player of the Year playing football again after retiring two years ago.
“We don’t have a ring, or a Lombardi Trophy or a banner if not for Aaron Donald,” Demoff said. “I think Sean [McVay] said it best yesterday. If Aaron wants to return, we will wait with open arms. It’s his decision, his choice. But there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t wake up refreshing social media, seeing if there’s a post or hoping that there’s a text that says, ‘You up?”
Added Stafford: “Whatever’s right for him will be right for all of us.”
While the team hasn’t set a timetable for Donald to decide whether to potentially unretire, a league source close to Donald told me he is leaning toward returning. Donald participated in a workout in full pads at the team’s facility two weeks ago.
As for the matter at hand on Thursday night, the two alternate uniforms the Rams introduced — “Classic Sol” and “Fearsome White” — celebrate the franchise’s championship history and iconic legacy, according to the team.
Members of the Rams’ defense wear their new Fearsome White uniforms. (Photo courtesy of the Rams.)
The “Classic Sol” uniform celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Rams’ 1951 championship team, while the “Fearsome White” honors the legendary Fearsome Foursome defensive line of Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier that dominated the NFL during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Grier, the oldest living former Ram at 94 years old, attended the uniform unveiling.
“These uniforms are a celebration and reminder of the moments and people that built the Rams into what and who we are today,” said Kathryn Kai-Iing Frederick, chief marketing officer for the Rams. “Every detail was intentionally designed to honor the grit and greatness of our history while delivering a modern look for today’s players and fans.”
The Rams will wear the Classic Sol uniform — a combination of yellow jersey and white pants — for the first time in a Week 2 home contest against the New York Giants. The Rams will also wear them in a Week 13 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The debut of the Fearsome White combination will be on their Thanksgiving Eve home matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Hall of Fame running back and Rams legend Eric Dickerson was on hand for the unveiling. Dickerson told me he wasn’t a fan of the Classic Sol and still wants the franchise to return to the classic horns look on the team’s helmets. But he praised the Rams for paying respect to the team’s history with the return to the traditional all-white uniforms.
“It kind of reminds me of the Fearsome Foursome,” Dickerson said. “I wish we would have worn those uniforms.”
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