The locker rooms at SoFi Stadium may get a whole lot of use in 2028.
The home of the Rams and Chargers already may have a third tenant for 2026, with UCLA looking to move its home football games from the iconic Rose Bowl to the venue as soon as 2026.
Now, Ryan Kartje of the L.A. Times reports USC is likely to temporarily join the party for one year.
With track-and-field events at the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games slated to take place at the L.A. Coliseum, that stadium is not going to be ready to host the Trojans for at least the start of the 2028 season. As it stands now, the most likely option for USC is to play its home slate at SoFi Stadium.
If it happens, that could put all four major football programs in Los Angeles under one roof that fall, which could, in turn, cause some logistical challenges.
The Coliseum would be unavailable for at least the early portion of the 2028 football season because the venue will have a $100 million temporary track installed for the Olympics. That requires the Coliseum’s field and dirt under it to be stripped down to the stadium’s concrete base, where columns to hold up the track will be placed about every 10 feet. Restoring the field will take longer than the two weeks between the end of the 2028 Paralympic Games and the start of USC’s schedule.
While Kartje notes USC has not made a final decision on where its 2028 schedule will be played, the only other venue in the area would be the Rose Bowl. And even if the Coliseum could be ready for later in the fall, the USC athletic department may not feel like splitting the season between stadiums — or spending a long portion of the season away from Los Angeles — would be in its best interest.
This would not be the first time the Rams, Trojans, and Bruins would share a venue, as the three teams played at the L.A. Coliseum together from 1946-1979. The Rams and Trojans recently shared the Coliseum again from 2016-2019 while SoFi Stadium was being built.
Rams Clips
The unpleasant divorce between the Rams and quarterback Jared Goff has been well documented.
But time heals all wounds, as illustrated by Goff telling reporters in Detroit this week that getting traded from the Rams to the Lions “feels like a long time ago,” adding he doesn’t have particular special emotions playing his former team any longer.
Los Angeles’ Sean McVay was asked in his Wednesday press conference what he’s seeing from Goff this season and the head coach was effusive in his praise.
“I see outstanding maturity. I see outstanding growth and ownership,” McVay said, via transcript from the team. “You can see they give him a lot of things at the line of scrimmage like mike-point IDs, calling multiple plays, and getting in and out of the right looks whether that be in the run game or in the pass game, unbelievable accuracy and anticipation. Jared’s played really great.”
But beyond that, McVay noted that he’s been happy to see what Goff has been able to build in Detroit, putting the team on his back.
“I’ve been very open and very clear about [how] I had a lot of growing up to do back when that thing went down,” McVay said. “There were a lot of great memories and a lot of really good ball that he did here that I’ll always cherish.
“I’m truly happy for him. He’s married and has a beautiful little girl now. It’s awesome to see. I think I’m reminded of those things and then you’re also reminded of when you need to be able to grow up and handle things a little bit better. I’ll never run away from that. What I’m grateful for and appreciative of is that he’s got such grace towards me and understanding. I’m happy for Jared.”
Goff’s time with the Lions has now been longer than the time he spent with McVay, as he’s now in his fifth season with Detroit and had four with Los Angeles’ current head coach (plus his rookie year under Jeff Fisher).
In 13 games this season, Goff has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 3,334 yards with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff will see his former team on Sunday when he plays against the Rams, but he says at this point it’s old news.
“It feels like a long time ago,” Goff said when asked about being traded from the Rams to the Lions five years ago. “My career now has spent more time here.”
Asked if he feels any special emotions about playing the team that drafted him first overall but then traded him to the Lions for Matthew Stafford and two first-round picks, Goff answered, “No, not so much anymore.”
Goff said the Lions’ playoff win over the Rams after the 2023 season was the last time it really felt meaningful to play against his former team.
“We played them in that playoff game it was such a big deal, the next year it felt like even less, now it’s even further removed,” Goff said.
When reporters started asking him more questions about the Rams, Goff seemed surprised that they were making it a story.
“We’re still talking about it?” Goff asked.
Goff understands that with the Lions fighting for a playoff berth and the Rams currently atop the NFC, it’s a big game on Sunday. Just not any bigger than any other game with playoff implications.
“I’ve got so much respect for those guys, how well they’re playing, how well they’re coached,” Goff said. “We’ve got our hands full, and gotta find a way to win.”
The Rams will activate wide receiver Tutu Atwell from injured reserve this week, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.
Atwell has not played since Oct. 19 when he injured a hamstring, missing six consecutive games.
The Rams had to make a decision on Atwell this week about whether to activate him from injured reserve or let him finish the season on injured reserve.
Atwell signed a $10 million contract in the offseason but has only four catches for 164 yards and a touchdown this season.
Puka Nacua had an excellent performance in the Rams’ big win over the Cardinals on Sunday, making contested catch after contested catch.
Nacua has now been recognized by the league, as he was named NFC offensive player of the week on Wednesday.
In his third season, Nacua has become one of the NFL’s elite receivers. He finished Sunday’s contest with seven receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first time all year he’s recorded a multi-touchdown game.
Nacua now has 277 career catches, which passed Michael Thomas (274) for most career receptions in his first 40 games.
This is Nacua’s third career offensive player of the week award and the second time he’s earned the honor in 2025.
Nacua leads the league with 93 catches this season, despite missing one game due to injury. He’s tallied 1,186 yards with six touchdowns.
The Rams will be at home to face the Lions on Sunday.
The previously settled catch rule has once again descended into full uncertainty and borderline madness, after the league office overturned Sunday’s ruling on the field that Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely completed the process of scoring what should have been a fourth-quarter, go-ahead touchdown.
On Monday night, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford — a constant presence in the NFL since 2009 — commented on the various shifts and changes to the catch rule, while also lamenting the periodic absence of common sense.
“Since I’ve been in for 17 years now, I feel like the rules changed every third or fourth year,” Stafford said on the SiriusXM Let’s Go! podcast. “You look at the Ravens game against the Steelers and Isaiah Likely’s play and at the end of the game and is it a touchdown? Is it not? Sure felt like one. Sure looked like one in my eyes.”
Stafford expressed sympathy for the officials, who are required to see things in real time and make quick decisions.
“I’m sure they’re getting help from New York,” Stafford acknowledged.
But here’s the point. As to the two controversial (and irreconcilable) catch/no-catch decisions from Steelers-Ravens, New York overturned seemingly correct rulings made by the on-field officials. “Clear and obvious” has quietly and systematically taken a back seat to someone (good luck figuring out who it is) replacing their assessment via replay review for the snap judgment of the officials, without giving those decisions the broad deference that the rules require.
Put simply, the league office has gone rogue. It’s misapplying the replay standard. And, for whatever reason, it’s ignoring key elements of the catch rule. As to Likely, the review process disregarded the multiple ways he could have satisfied the process by performing an act common to the game and treated the absence of a third step as dispositive. As to the Aaron Rodgers non-catch, the review process didn’t consider the requirement that a player going to the ground must keep possession until he lands.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow as a player because sometimes it may not say it in the rule book or exactly show you, but man, you know it as a player,” Stafford said. “Hey, I caught that ball, or I didn’t catch that ball. Or this was a fumble or it wasn’t. And to have that overturned and cost your team possibly a chance at the playoffs or whatever it is. . . . I wish sometimes common sense would override the rule a little bit.”
We’d settle for the rules being applied as written. As written, the rules codify common sense. As interpreted by the replay process on Sunday, the league office proved the age-old maxim that common sense ain’t.
Philip Rivers is back. And he could be playing for the Colts as soon as this weekend.
If/when he does, each yard he generates in the passing game will move him closer to moving from No. 7 to No. 6 on the all-time passing yardage list.
Currently, Rivers has 63,440 yards. Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has 64,088 yards. With 649 yards, Rivers will leapfrog Roethlisberger.
Of course, it likely will come down to a question of No. 7 vs. No. 8. Ram quarterback Matthew Stafford is about to skip past both of them.
Stafford, No. 8 on the list, has 63,163 yards. He’s only 277 behind Rivers, and 925 behind Roethlisberger. As a result, Big Ben quite possibly is less than a month away from falling to No. 8.
Which leads to the next question. If Rivers, at 44, can return after not playing since 2020, could Roethlisberger come back after not playing since 2021? He has said that the 49ers gauged his interest in 2022.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was a small part of me that was intrigued,” Roethlisberger said in 2023. “I could still do it and prove to people that I could still play. At the end of the day, I just can’t see myself in anything other than black and gold.”
So there it is. The door is closed for Roethlisberger. Just like everyone thought it was for Rivers. Until yesterday.
The Rams parted ways with linebacker Nick Hampton on Tuesday.
The team announced that they have waived Hampton off of the 53-man roster. They also released tight end Nick Muse from their practice squad.
Hampton was a 2023 fifth-round pick out of Appalachian State and he has appeared in 36 games for the Rams since joining the team. He’s been a regular on special teams all three years and played 112 defensive snaps this season. Hampton has 17 tackles and two passes defensed over his entire time in the league.
The move leaves the Rams with an open roster spot heading into their Week 15 game against the Lions. Wide receiver Tutu Atwell has been designated for return from injured reserve and could be activated this week.
We’ve reached the point in the regular season where teams can officially turn an eye toward January.
The Rams, Patriots, and Broncos are the three clubs that can clinch a postseason berth this week.
For Los Angeles, it’s simple: Win and you’re in. The Rams can only secure the NFC’s first playoff spot, with the NFC West still up for grabs between L.A., Seattle, and San Francisco.
Things are a little more complicated for two AFC teams.
New England will win the AFC East and secure a home playoff game with a victory over Buffalo. The Patriots can also clinch a postseason berth with a tie and a Chargers loss; a tie with a Texans loss or tie; a tie with a Colts loss or tie; or a tie with a Jaguars loss. New England would also clinch a berth if Houston loses or ties and Indianapolis loses or ties as long as both games don’t end in a tie.
Denver cannot clinch the AFC West on Sunday, but can clinch a postseason berth with a win. If Denver ties, a Chargers loss, or Jaguars loss, or Texans loss or tie, or Colts loss or tie would also secure a playoff spot. Additionally, the same New England clinching scenario with a Houston loss or tie plus an Indianapolis loss or tie, as long as both games don’t end in a tie, applies to Denver.
The Patriots will play the Bills at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, while Broncos-Packers and Rams-Lions both have a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff time.
The Lions lost Brian Branch for the season when he tore his Achilles in last Thursday’s win over the Cowboys, but head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday that the team feels like they are still well stocked at safety.
Branch’s injury comes at a time when Kerby Joseph is recovering from a knee injury and Thomas Harper is in the concussion protocol, but Campbell said at his press conference that they plan to get Joseph “some reps in practice” this week as he tries to play for the first time since Week 6. Campbell also praised Avonte Maddox’s play at the position and named Daniel Thomas, Erick Hallett, and Damontae Kazee as others who make him feel comfortable about who is available.
“We’re good, man. . . . We got options here, but it’s like anything — you lose a good player, it hurts,” Campbell said. “But it’s not like we’re in dire straits.”
Wednesday’s practice report will bring updates about Joseph and Harper that will give a better idea of what the safety group will look like against the Rams this week.
