Rams' TE-Heavy Offense: Blueprint or Fad for 2026?
Assessing whether LA's tight-end revolution can be copied across the NFL next season.
The Los Angeles Rams turned heads in 2025 by deploying multiple tight ends as primary weapons, creating mismatches that fueled a potent offense. As the league enters the 2026 season, the question isn't whether the scheme worked—it's whether it can work elsewhere. Key to the Rams' success was personnel versatility.
Tyler Higbee and rookie Jared Wiley offered both inline blocking and seam-stretching speed, forcing defenses into base personnel or risking coverage busts. The scheme also protected a banged-up offensive line, as extra TEs chipped edge rushers before releasing into routes. But replication faces hurdles.
Most NFL rosters lack two TEs with that dual-threat skill set. Teams like the Chiefs and 49ers have the pieces, but for others, acquiring such talent requires draft capital or cap space—resources many franchises won't allocate. Defensive coordinators are also adjusting, using more nickel and dime packages with hybrid safeties to counter 12-personnel.
