Los Angeles Rams

Inaugural season: 1936

Home field: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Owner: Stan Kroenke

Team colors: Blue, gold, and white

Overview

The Los Angeles Rams are a National Football League (NFL) franchise that plays in the West division of the National Football Conference (NFC). In franchise history, the Rams have played in three different cities, including Cleveland, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California.

The most recent of these moves took the team from St. Louis back to Los Angeles in 2016. Over the years, the Rams won a pair of NFL Championships in 1945 and 1951 and two Super Bowls for the 1999 and 2021 seasons. Financially, the Rams are one of the NFL’s most valuable franchises. In 2024, the team was worth an estimated $7 billion.

Off the field, the Rams franchise maintains an active commitment to the greater Los Angeles community that it fulfills through various charity programs. Much of the Rams' charitable efforts are focused on supporting youth education, promoting health and wellness, and tackling poverty. Among other things, the Rams front office personnel participate in monthly days of service, during which each staff member spends time out of the office to volunteer with local non-profits. Since its days in St. Louis, the team has also hosted the Annual Community Improvement Project, a special event designed to help raise funds for a selected cause. Through this fundraiser, the Rams have provided funding for constructing several playgrounds, completing murals at local elementary schools, and refurbishing a football field for the Boys & Girls Club.

History

The NFL franchise, now known as the Los Angeles Rams, was founded by Ohio attorney Homer Marshman as the Cleveland Rams in 1936. An American Football League (AFL) franchise during its inaugural season, the team switched to the NFL the following year. Much of the Rams' brief tenure in Cleveland was unremarkable, as the team failed to achieve even a winning record through any of its first six seasons. In 1943, the Rams disbanded for a year during a World War II-related player shortage. The team's most successful year in Cleveland was its last. Finishing first in their division with a 9–1 record, the Rams made it to the NFL Championship game and defeated the Washington Football Team 15–14 to claim the first title in franchise history.

Ahead of the 1946 season, owner Dan Reeves, who had acquired the team from Marshman several years earlier, elected to move the Rams to Los Angeles. This decision posed a significant risk because it put the Rams in direct financial competition with the Los Angeles Dons of the rival All-America Football Conference (AAFC). For the remainder of the 1940s, the Rams struggled to compete with the Dons and incurred heavy financial losses. The Rams' fortunes significantly improved when the AAFC folded after the 1949 season. At the same time, the team began to improve on the gridiron as well. The team won four NFL Western Division championships in the early 1950s and a second NFL Championship in 1951.

After slumping in the latter half of the 1950s, the Rams did not return to form until 1967. Led by head coach George Allen and featuring the notorious "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line, the Rams roared through the 1970s, winning several division titles and clinching the NFC championship in 1979 before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV. During this era, the team also changed ownership. Chicago industrialist Robert Irsay bought the Rams in 1972 and traded the team to Carroll Rosenbloom in exchange for the former Baltimore Colts. After Rosenbloom's 1979 death, the team transferred to his widow, Georgia Frontiere.

Despite playing well throughout the decade, the 1980s were disappointing for the Rams. Led by running back Eric Dickerson, one of the greatest players in NFL history, the Rams made it to the NFC Championship game in 1985 and 1989 only to lose on both attempts. After falling short of the Super Bowl in 1989, the Rams entered a marked decline. They won no more than six games each season between 1990 and 1994. As a result, attendance at Rams games dropped so dramatically that the franchise decided to relocate to St. Louis in 1995.

In St. Louis, the Rams quickly began to rebuild. Undoubtedly, the team's most important change during this era was the hiring of head coach Dick Vermeil in 1997. With Vermeil calling plays, the Rams emerged as one of the league's most high-scoring teams and became known as "The Greatest Show on Turf." Their historic run culminated in a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV in early 2000 following the 1999 season. They achieved a dramatic 23–16 victory over the Tennessee Titans. On the game's final play, Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson was tackled on the Rams' one-yard line in what would have been the go-ahead score. The win marked the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

After returning to the Super Bowl once more and losing to the New England Patriots in 2002, the Rams entered another period of decline that lasted through the remainder of the 2000s and into the 2010s. In 2010, entrepreneur and Rams minority owner Stan Kroenke took full ownership of the team. Six years later, Kroenke moved the team back to Los Angeles. As was the case following the franchise's previous relocation to St. Louis, the Rams were energized by the move and soon found renewed on-field success. Led by head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff, the Rams achieved an outstanding 13–3 regular season record in the 2018 season and eventually faced the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. The contest ended in controversy after officials blatantly missed a call late in the fourth quarter that would have allowed the Saints to run down the clock and kick a potential game-winning field goal. Ultimately, the Rams picked up the win and secured a berth in Super Bowl LIII. The Rams again lost to the Patriots, this time by a score of 13–3.

The Rams' fortunes briefly declined again following Super Bowl LIII. However, they began to reshape their roster with numerous veteran stars, including trading Goff for longtime Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford before the 2021 season. Stafford had excelled individually but had been hampered by weak teams around him. The trade immediately paid dividends, as Stafford forged a particularly strong connection with wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Kupp put together one of the greatest receiving seasons of all time in 2021 with a record-setting 1,965 yards from scrimmage. Stafford led the team to a 12–5 regular season record. In the 2021 playoffs, the Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals, defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and San Francisco 49ers to reach another Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl LVI Rams team featured numerous stars on both offense and defense. The 2021 Rams also acquired two notable players during the season: linebacker Von Miller, who had had a highly decorated career with the Denver Broncos, and Odell Beckham Jr., an often controversial but highly popular star wide receiver. The mainstay of the Rams' defense was defensive tackle Aaron Donald, one of the best to ever play the position in the NFL.

The Rams faced off against the upstart Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Leading 13-10 at halftime, the Rams would lose the lead in the third quarter and were down 20-16 at the start of the game's final quarter. The Rams scored a late touchdown, with the winning catch secured by game MVP Cooper. The Rams' defense then halted the Bengals on their final drive. The Rams' 23–20 victory achieved their second Super Bowl trophy in club history.

A criticism of the 2021 Rams was that they mortgaged their future by trading away draft picks for the talent they acquired to win Super Bowl LVI. The dropoff for the Rams was immediate. The 2022 team struggled to a losing 5-12 season and did not qualify for the playoffs. Coach Sean McVey hinted at retirement before ultimately deciding to return for another campaign. In 2023, the Rams entered the post-season as a Wild Card team and faced the Detroit Lions, led by their former starting quarterback, Jared Goff. Since the 2021 Super Bowl, the fortunes of the two clubs had changed, with the Lions now viewed as the stronger team. The playoff game nonetheless turned out to be tighter than expected, but the Lions ultimately emerged victorious 24-23.  All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, one of the most dominant players in the league, announced his retirement in March 2024 following a ten-year career.

Notable Players

Numerous players who suited up for the Rams have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Arguably, the team's most famous Hall of Famer was Marshall Faulk—a standout running back who was a pivotal part of the Rams' Super Bowl XXXIV victory. Retiring in 2005, Faulk amassed career totals of 767 receptions, 12,279 rushing yards, and 100 rushing touchdowns. Equally important to the Super Bowl XXXIV win was quarterback and fellow Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Playing for the Rams from 1998 to 2004, Warner retired in 2009 with 2,666 completions, 32,344 passing yards, and 208 passing touchdowns. One of the standout players of the 1980s era Rams—linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene—was also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Greene played with the Rams from 1985 to 1992 and recorded 160 sacks in his career. Another Rams Hall of Fame member was David "Deacon" Jones, a defensive end who played with the team from 1961 to 1971 and earned multiple all-league honors and Pro Bowl selections. Hall of Fame running back Erick Dickerson was a Ram from 1983 to 1987 and eventually retired with a career total of 13,259 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns. Other notable Hall of Famers include quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, wide receiver Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, and defensive linemen Jack Youngblood and Merlin Olsen.

Many other notable players have suited up for the Rams as well. Although he spent most of his career with the New York Giants, defensive tackle Rosey Grier was one of the "Fearsome Foursome" alongside teammates Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones, and Lamar Lundy. Kicker Mike Lansford played his entire 1982–1990 career with the Rams. During that time, he scored 789 points and achieved a 72.8 field goal completion percentage, as well as a 96.9 extra point completion percentage. Quarterback Vince Ferragamo played two stints with the Rams in the 1970s and 1980s, and led the team to an appearance in Super Bowl XIV. In 1980 alone, Ferragamo threw for 3,199 yards and 30 touchdowns. In the ten years between 1962 and 1972 that he played as a Ram, Roman Gabriel established himself as one of the franchise's all-time great quarterbacks. In his career, Gabriel threw for 29,444 yards and 201 touchdowns. Torry Holt, who played for the Rams from 1999 to 2008, was one of the franchise's top wide receivers. By the time of his retirement in 2009, Holt recorded 929 receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns. Defensive end Chris Long, the son of legendary Oakland/Los Angeles Raider and NFL broadcaster Howie Long, played for the Rams from 2008 to 2015 and was firmly established as one of the team's most valuable players. Regarded as one of the most hardworking players in Rams history, Isaac Bruce was a fan-favorite wide receiver who played fourteen seasons with the team from 1994 to 2007. During his lengthy career, Bruce recorded 1,024 receptions for 15,208 yards and 91 touchdowns.

The anchor of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI-winning team, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, is a near-certainty for future enshrinement at the NFL Hall of Fame. Donald established himself as one of the greatest defenders ever by winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2017, 2018, and 2020. Donald also garnered numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors along with his Super Bowl ring.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is also a strong candidate as a future Hall of Famer. Stafford nonetheless played a significant portion of his career in Detroit. A looming question over Stafford's potential enshrinement would be what team, Detroit or Los Angeles, would he represent as a member of the Hall of Fame.

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