Will the Rams really be better next season?

The Los Angeles Rams are having one of the worst seasons by a defending Super Bowl champion in recent memory.

They are entering Week 15 with a 4-9 record and have no hope of making it back to the playoffs.

LA has suffered its fair share of injuries this season, which helps explain why they’ve been ineffective.

But they weren’t playing well even when most of their key players were healthy.

So the question a lot of people are asking is, will the Rams be better next season?

The answer has to be yes.

Getting their key players back to full strength will be the biggest hurdle.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a serious neck injury that has forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

These ⬇️ are your likely LAR quarterbacks for the rest of the season.

Despite complying with concussion protocol, Matthew Stafford was dealing with a neck injury that was causing numbness and tingling in his feet. I wouldn’t be surprised if they shut it down. https://t.co/LAWgJ6Ijmw

—Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) December 2, 2022

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Depending on how he recovers, it will be a big factor in the Rams’ plans.

They claimed Baker Mayfield last week as an insurance policy for Stafford, and Mayfield led them to victory in their first game.

But, the success of this Rams team in 2023 will depend on Stafford’s health.

Also, their best offensive player, Cooper Kupp, suffered a high ankle sprain and will also miss the rest of the season.

The injury concerns don’t end there, as Aaron Donald hasn’t played in a few weeks due to an ankle injury.

What a disaster of a season this has been for the Rams in the injury department.

no capital project

The problem with the Rams is that they’ve spent the last few seasons going all-in because they don’t have draft capital.

Despite being in line for a top-10 pick, that pick will go to the Detroit Lions.

So the future for this Rams team looks bleak.

But if they can get the aforementioned Stafford, Kupp and Donald back to full strength next season, they’ll be better.

Their time as Super Bowl contenders is most likely over, but a team on the brink of the playoffs seems plausible.