A Historic Roster Composition
With the arrival of reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett alongside the reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford, the 2026 Los Angeles Rams have secured a singular position in professional football history. The franchise is the first in the league to feature both the reigning MVP and the previous season's Defensive Player of the Year simultaneously as separate entities on their active roster.
Contextualizing the Achievement
While the combination seems unprecedented, it is helpful to look at previous instances where these prestigious honors intersected:
- Dual-Award Winners: In 1971, Vikings defensive lineman Alan Page won both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards. Similarly, Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor achieved this rare double in 1986. Consequently, the 1972 Vikings and 1987 Giants rosters technically contained both titles, but they were held by a single individual rather than two different players.
- The 1994 Precedent: The only other instance of a team housing both individual award winners occurred with the 1994 San Francisco 49ers, who featured quarterback Steve Young and cornerback Deion Sanders. However, this pairing was short-lived, as Sanders departed for Dallas during the subsequent offseason, preventing the 1995 team from retaining both reigning titleholders.
Super Bowl Aspirations
Even prior to the major trade that brought Garrett to California, the Rams were already considered primary contenders for the championship. Now that the organization has successfully retained Stafford and integrated Garrett, analysts view them as the clear frontrunners to lift the Lombardi Trophy, cementing their status as the team to beat in the upcoming season.