Much is made of Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams offensive prowess. One would think that LA’s career stats lists would be bursting at the seams with players from 2017 through today. It’s not.

Yes, it has only been five years, but that is surely enough to put a bunch of current Rams towards the top of the list, especially in the modern era of passing.

There are two main reasons for this.

One, the LA Rams offense is not built around one star. They have stars, to be sure, but until last season when Cooper Kupp broke into the stratosphere, LA was about spreading the ball amongst playmakers, not allowing opposing defenses the ability lock in one player and neutralize the offense. Reason two, more importantly, the Rams are not afraid of moving on from players who no longer fit the program, no matter their draft status, contract details, or past value to the team.

There are some players who can be projected to move up stat lists.

Matthew Stafford can easily be projected to be both the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams all-time leading passer. Stafford has a long history of moving the football downfield via the pass, is absurdly under-valued by NFL “experts”, and is coming off of and looking to improve on one his best seasons. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson can also move up the list, if they can stay healthy. And there is always a buzz around Kupp.

Here are the Rams all-time leaders in some key statistical categories and some current players on the team who could challenge to move up the boards quickly.

Passing

Stafford only has one year with the Rams and since most passing records are a body of accumulated work, it will be three years before he moves to the top of categories. But it is very easy to extrapolate his numbers and project his ascension.

If Matthew Stafford finishes out his new contract that runs through 2026 at or near his career averages, he will easily be the Rams all-time leader in all passing categories.

Numbers aside, he is certainly a wonderful fit into Sean McVay’s downfield offensive scheme and in 2022, should have a stronger grip on all of the intricacies that make the offense hum. Last year was arguably the best season of his career. He has had different years where his individual category numbers were better, but in 2021-22 he was at the top of his game, battling through injuries and coming to grasp with a new situation.

Attempts

1. 3313, Roman Gabriel (1962-72)
2. 3277, Jim Everett (1986-93)
3. 3171, Marc Bulger (2001-10)
4. 2421, Jared Goff (2016-21)
5. 1897, Norm Van Brocklin (1949-57)

16. 601, Matthew Stafford (2021-)

Completions

1. Bulger, 1969
2. Everett, 1847
3. Gabriel, 1705
4. Goff, 1536
5. Kurt Warner, 1121 (1998-03)

14. Stafford, 404

Yards

1. Everett, 23,578
2. Bulger, 22,814
3. Gabriel, 22,223
4. Goff, 18,171
5. Van Brocklin, 16,114

14. Stafford, 4886

Touchdowns

1. Gabriel, 154
2. Everett, 142
3. Bulger, 122
4. Van Brocklin, 118
5. Goff, 107

12. Stafford, 41

Rushing

Moving up the rushing leader charts is very much up in the air for the Rams current running backs. It was just three short years ago, before Todd Gurley’s knee gave out, that LA was a run-first team, controlling the the clock and letting the offense go through TG3. His legs set up the pass and when he put a foot down and cut, he hit holes like a Brahma bull with snot, dreads, and limbs flying and flailing.

The run game is still based on the outside zone, but more inside zone has been incorporated to fit the current backs strengths. Akers and Henderson are vision guys who read blocks well in traffic and use their compact builds to slither through clutter. Akers has good NFL size but doesn’t play near as big as Gurley, Henderson has quick, choppy steps and cuts back well but doesn’t have a lot of power to his game.

Between the Rams committee approach to the run game and the numerous injuries that have befallen the starters, projecting any big moves up the stat leaders list is not a certainty. While the innate talent to be among the best is there, both Akers and Henderson need to prove they can play a full season to become the go-to guy and get into the 1000 yard club.

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Yards

1. 10,135 Steven Jackson (2004-12)
2. 7,245 Eric Dickerson (1983-87)
3. 6,959 Marshall Faulk (1999-2006)
4. 6.186 Lawrence McCutcheon (1972-79)
5. 5,417 Dick Bass (1960-69)

29. 1,459 Darrell Henderson (2019-)

51. 628 Cam Akers (2020-)

Yards per carry

1. Faulk 4.8
2. Dickerson 4.8
3. Henderson 4.5
4. Bass 4.4
5. Les Josephson (1964-67, 69-74) 4.3

7. Akers 4.2

Photo by Vic Stein/Getty Images

Touchdowns

1t. 58 Faulk

1t. 58 Gurley

2t. 56 Dickerson

2t. 56 Jackson

3. 43 Dan Towler (1950-55)

32t. 10 Henderson

Receiving

There is not gong to be much here about the potential of Allen Robinson, the second-year progress of Tutu Atwell, and whether-or-not Van Jefferson has, or will, breakout. This article is about moving up the Rams career stat charts and that makes it about Cooper Kupp. I’ll throw in Tyler Higbee because he may stick around in LA long enough to shimmy up the charts.

Passing Hall of Famer’s Issac Bruce and Torry Holt seems like a long row to hoe, but Kupp’s amazing 2021-22 season makes it possible. Kupp’s contract runs through 2026, when he will be 33. At his current average pace of 87 receptions for 1103 yards and eight touchdowns, he will pass all the past Rams great wide outs except for Bruce and Holt. Higbee could realistically finish his L.A. career in the top 10 of all categories and knock on door of the top five if he can consistently become part of the offense.

Receptions

1. 942 Issac Bruce (1994-2007)
2. 869 Torry Holt (1999-2008)
3. 593 Henry Ellard (1983-93)
4. 470 Faulk
5. 433 Cooper Kupp (2017-)

14. 234 Tyler Higbee (2016-)

Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images

Yards

1. 14,109 Bruce
2. 12,660 Holt
3. 9,781 Ellard
4. 6,299 Elroy Hirsch (1949-57)
5. 6,012 Jack Snow (1965-75)

6. Kupp 5,517

19. Higbee 2,487

Touchdowns

1. Bruce 84
2. Holt 74
3. Hirsch 53
4. Ellard 48
5. Snow 45

7. Kupp 40

17t. Higbee 17

Anyone else?

With a new contract, Aaron Donald can continue to put space between him and the field in sacks. Some older stats show Deacon Jones as the team leader, but those are unofficial and AD leads at 98 sacks.

Matt Gay only has one and a half seasons in LA but could move up the list if the Rams continue to extend him contracts. The Rams have had a lot of good kickers so getting to the top will be earned.

There are some younger players who might eventually climb the stat lists. Who might be the next Rams star?