Per Nate Atkins of The Athletic, it is "very unlikely" the Rams will manage to retain Young on a second contract, with 2026 marking the final year of his rookie deal.
Why He'll Be Expensive
Young has been one of the best value picks of the Les Snead era.
A third-round selection in 2023, he stepped into a full-time starting role as a rookie and posted eight sacks, then followed it with another strong campaign before breaking out in 2025 with 12 sacks and 40 quarterback pressures, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
No. 84 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@RamsNFL LB Byron Young! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/zVXYm10kpX
— NFL (@NFL) July 2, 2026
Over the last three years, no player has more sacks for the Rams.
That production sets him up for a significant payday, with market comparisons pointing toward the range Josh Sweat received from Arizona at $19 million per year and Danielle Hunter's $35 million from Houston, and Spotrac currently valuing him around $28 million annually.
The Cap Crunch
The problem for Los Angeles is everyone else who needs paying.
Myles Garrett's restructured deal averages $40 million per year and runs through 2030, and the Rams have no other edge contracts averaging more than $1.6 million.
INSANE VIDEO: #Raiders front office calling the WRONG Byron Young on draft night has resurfaced.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) April 24, 2026
Vegas texted #Rams star Byron Young (Tennessee) agent saying they were drafting him and then selected Bama DT Byron Young.
One of the biggest mistakes ever. pic.twitter.com/ngFwCTNOdE https://t.co/wfn5m1Nvv1
Kobie Turner and Puka Nacua are also entering contract years and are extension eligible, and the Rams simply cannot pay everyone.
Young will also be a 29-year-old first-time free agent, which complicates the calculus of a long-term commitment for a team that just drafted quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round with an eye on life after Matthew Stafford.
The Likely Path
The most realistic outcome is that the Rams ride out the season with Young and Garrett terrorizing quarterbacks, then let him walk and collect a compensatory pick.
Young may actually benefit most from the "Myles Garrett effect," seeing more one-on-one opportunities with defenses focused elsewhere, which could push him past 12 sacks and further inflate his market.
For a Rams team in win-now mode coming off an NFC Championship game appearance, maximizing 2026 with Young may be worth more than keeping him beyond it.
