The Rams are old in the wrong spots: Matthew Stafford, Rob Havenstein, Davante Adams, Darious Williams
The Los Angeles Rams were the second youngest team in the NFL last season. They haven’t made many changes this offseason that would move the needle in a significant way, as even signings of older players like Davante Adams and Poona Ford were offset by losses such as Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, and Neville Gallimore.
Los Angeles figures to be one of the youngest rosters across the league again in 2025, which why the question “Are the Rams too old?” might not seem fair at first glance.
But the Rams are long in the tooth at some of the most important positions in football. This is a talented roster where late-career regression could derail Super Bowl hopes.
Who are the Rams on the wrong side of 30?
Davante Adams, WR – 32
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB – 33
Rob Havenstein, RT – 33
Tyler Higbee, TE – 32
Troy Reeder, MLB – 30
Matthew Stafford, QB – 37
Darious Williams, CB – 32
Ahkello Witherspoon, CB – 30
Honorable Mention:
Coleman Shelton, C – 29
Why age in key spots is a concern for LA:
The players mentioned in the above list are mostly expected to play important roles on the 2025 version of the team.
Matthew Stafford, QB
Matthew Stafford is entering the phase of his career where most quarterbacks tend to drastically decline. Sure, there are exceptions to this rule—such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers—who produce at a high level into their 40’s. However, it’s far more common for injuries to crop up or abilities diminish. Will Matthew Stafford fit into the bucket of Brady and Rodgers, or is he another Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees, or Peyton Manning?
Cousins and Rodgers suffered major Achilles injuries at ages 36 and 39, respectively.
The Rams committed to Stafford this offseason for another two seasons and tacked on void years through 2030. Will they regret not keeping their relationship on a year-to-year basis? If Stafford notably declines this upcoming season, we could see a serious case of buyer’s remorse for LA.
Why Matthew Stafford’s age is trending https://t.co/mhK0IJZ8tD pic.twitter.com/RoFKhX84zb
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) November 13, 2024
Davante Adams, WR
We’ve seen the Rams take chances on older receivers with mixed effects; however, it could be ill-advised to replace Cooper Kupp with a similarly older player.
Adams seems to be playing at a high level and the Rams are only committed for one season. Still, from Odell Beckham, Jr. to Allen Robinson, we’ve seen this movie before in Los Angeles. I’d even add Colby Parkinson to the list of pass catchers the Rams signed in free agency only for the plan to not work as intended.
Adams could be the player the offense was missing as a compliment to Nacua. He also could draw targets away from the Rams’ best offensive player, Nacua, and not be as impactful as it might look on paper. It’s fair to feel both skeptical and excited about this move.
Darious Williams, CB
Ahkello Witherspoon, CB
Williams might be the Rams’ best corner in 2025, though my personal opinion is that it’s close between he and Cobie Durant. Williams’ contract is very favorable to the player, and it’s somewhat surprising the Rams kept him around this offseason.
Witherspoon on the other hand has been a replacement level starter over his time in LA. He’s always been on the slower side and any decline in that facet could be ugly to watch. He’s also not always a willing tackler and his play can lack physicality despite being the largest corner on the roster.
It was surprising that the Rams chose not to address the corner position in a meaningful way this offseason, though they remain a candidate to acquire Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Bringing in Ramsey only heightens the age concerns in the secondary.
Seahawks WR DK Metcalf takes sign language classes on off days so he can talk trash to opposing players without getting flagged
After scoring on Rams’ CB Ahkello Witherspoon Sunday, Metcalf signed “#44, my son” pic.twitter.com/VhrZwjMW5X
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) November 22, 2023
Other thoughts
I don’t worry so much about Tyler Higbee’s age at TE. LA drafted Terrance Ferguson in the second round to pair him with Higbee for 2025 and then takeover as the starter thereafter. The Rams know who Higbee is and how often he’s dealt with injuries of late. They are preparing for the future already.
Same goes with Troy Reeder to an extent. It would be a mild surprise for Reeder to start over Pooh Paul, Shaun Dolac, Omar Speights, and/or Nate Landman at this point. The veteran still has upside as a special teams contributor and is worth keeping around for that reason.
