Byron Young is one of several players the Los Angeles Rams can extend this offseason, and his case will be especially complicated.
The third-year Pro Bowler led the Rams in sacks (12), QB hits (29) and tackles for loss (12) in 2025. According to NFL Plus, Young recorded a sack on 22.2% of his pressures this season, which was tied for the ninth-highest pressure -to-sack conversion rate among all edge rushers. Additionally, he finished fifth in combined tackles behind Nate Landman, Kamren Curl, Omar Speights and Kamren Kinchens.
So, why isn’t re-signing him a no-brainer, then?
Well, in case you’ve somehow forgotten, Puka Nacua is also eligible for an extension this offseason, and his contract will be EXPENSIVE. Young and Nacua weren’t first-rounders, so they don’t have a fifth-year option, hence they’re eligible early.
Other members of the 2023 draft class will be eligible too, including Kobie Turner and Steve Avila. What the Rams do with those two will also factor into how the front office handles Young and Nacua, and vice versa. Keeping the Young-Nacua duo in Hollywood long-term will be L.A.’s main focus.
However, it gets more complicated for Young since Jared Verse and Braden Fiske will be eligible for deals next offseason. The Rams will have to make some tough choices about who to extend or not of its young core. Having several key pieces to extend is a good problem to have, yet it will ultimately become a nightmare for the organization these next two offseasons.
Los Angeles would be wise to extend Young because of his consistent production alone this season. Plus, he’s one of the few edge rushers in the league who has the breakaway speed to rival the Packers’ Micah Parsons. Not saying he’s worth breaking the bank like Green Bay did for Parsons, but his natural football IQ and speed would be difficult to replace.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicted in his Jan. 30 column that Young will sign a four-year, $145 million deal with $72 million guaranteed. He added this about the Rams’ contract predicament:
“I cannot rule out the possibility that [Young] ends up getting his extension from a different team. The people in the Rams’ front office are extremely good at what they do, and I don’t doubt their ability to keep the gang together if they want. But the salary cap makes roster-building an exercise in resource allocation, and teams generally don’t like to commit too much to any one position group at the expense of the others.”
Re-signing Young is one of the easiest decisions the Rams can make this offseason, aside from extending Nacua, of course. Although as we’ve seen, his case is likely about to get complicated, so buckle up, as we might be in for a bumpy offseason.
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