Los Angeles Rams ceiling and floor for 2023

After winning Super Bowl LVI against Cincinnati, the Los Angeles Rams flopped in 2022. Injuries crushed their roster, leading to a brutal 5-12 season that sent them toward the bottom of the NFC standings. 

How much better can things get in 2023? Here's our best guess at Los Angeles' ceiling and floor: 

Ceiling: 11-6

There's reason for hope for a bounceback, especially if the Rams get better injury luck. The biggest game-changer would be a return to health and strong season from starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. 

Nothing changes a season like a top-tier quarterback playing at the top of his game, and if Stafford still has something left in the tank and can return to the form he showed during the Super Bowl season, the team can have a swift turnaround.

Stafford and star wide receiver Cooper Kupp played in just nine games last season, and future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald appeared in just 11. There are not many teams in the NFL that could withstand injuries to their starting quarterback, an all-time great defender and a No. 1 wide receiver. 

With Stafford and Kupp fully healthy in 2021, the Rams were eighth in points per game (27.1). In 2022, that number dropped to 18.1 and sent the offense to near the bottom of NFL rankings.

With Stafford and Kupp healthy, along with an improved running game with Cam Akers, the Rams could quickly get back on track. 

Floor: 5-12

The harsh reality is that Stafford, Kupp and Donald are all 30 or older and reaching the point in their careers when production could dip significantly. Plus, Los Angeles has a brutal early schedule, with games against Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Philadelphia within the first five games (full schedule analysis here). A bad start could bury the Rams. 

If Stafford is not healthy or doesn't return to 2021 form, the Rams are going to have a nightmare situation at quarterback — rookie Stetson Bennett is a backup — and not enough playmakers on offense to make up for it. 

Los Angeles went all-in on winning the Super Bowl in 2021, and the front office knew at some point they were going to have to pay the piper for doing so. The Rams might be at that point now and an extensive rebuild may be needed.