The Los Angeles Rams may have changed the course of their season with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but they still have work to do to remain competitive. The NFC West remains one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL. With the Seattle Seahawks trading for All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, the pressure is on for the Rams to make a corresponding move if they want to remain competitive with the Seahawks and 49ers.

While the 49ers may be the favorites to win the division, the battle for second place and a wild card spot in the playoffs is up for grabs. After the Seahawks beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, it’s clear they believe they are in position to push for that spot and do what they can to try and repeat. 

Quenton Nelson Makes Seahawks an Even Bigger Threat to Rams

The Seahawks making this type of move at 4-3 is a testament to how competitive the NFC West is as a division. Since the beginning of 2025, the Seahawks are 22-3 when Anthony Bradford starts at guard. Bradford has helped activate some of the things they do in the run game and allowed them to be more balanced on offense. Adding Nelson allows the Seahawks to be dominant in the run game and keep the interior clean for quarterback Sam Darnold.

Despite the 49ers leading the division, the Rams and Seahawks will be competing very closely for a final wild card spot, especially with how strong the NFC North is currently. Between the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers, all three are consistently looking to improve and seek out ways they can one-up the other. There are only three playoff spots available and five teams competing for those spots. 

While the Rams made moves for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie earlier in the summer, Garrett has yet to play and McDuffie has missed each of the last two games. Simply sticking with the status quo may not be enough to make a legitimate push for one of those playoff spots, especially with the Seahawks pushing more of their chips into the middle of the table.

Rams Have Roster Needs That Can't Be Ignored

At the end of the day, this is still a Rams roster with its flaws. With the injury to Davante Adams, the Rams have a need for a wide receiver. Even if Adams comes back, the Rams need an upgrade at their third wide receiver spot over Tutu Atwell and Konata Mumpfield. If the Rams don’t make a move there, it could come back to haunt them in the same way that ignoring the cornerback position did last season.

Additionally, the Rams could use a defensive tackle as well. Poona Ford is out for the season and Kobie Turner is on injured reserve. The Rams have depth on the defensive line, but it’s hard to promote some of that depth into a full-time role and expect to get the same production for half a season.

Rams Can't Afford to Repeat Last Season's Trade Deadline Mistake

The Rams have options here to explore with Brian Thomas Jr., Josh Downs, and others. It simply comes down to how big of a move the Rams want to make and what they feel like they can afford. Les Snead doesn’t necessarily need to make a blockbuster move, but the Rams do need to be aggressive and show they aren’t waving the white flag on this season despite some of the injuries. 

This isn’t necessarily about the Rams making a trade simply because the Seahawks did. However, the Seahawks’ willingness to give up draft capital to improve their roster should still increase the urgency for the Rams to do the same. The Rams have already invested heavily in competing for a Super Bowl this season, and can’t afford to fall further behind while a division rival looks to do the same. 

Last season, the Rams lost an opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl because they lost to the Seahawks when it mattered. At that time, it was the Seahawks making a move for Rashid Shaheed that helped push them over the edge. It was Shaheed that sparked the comeback in Week 16 with his punt return for a touchdown. The Rams can’t afford to stand pat and watch a division rival surpass them again in a season when they were supposed to compete for a Super Bowl.

It’s true that the Rams will get healthier. Garrett is nearing a return, McDuffie could be back this week, and Terrance Ferguson should be back soon as well. However, the Rams can’t treat those players coming back as midseason additions. The Seahawks have made their move. With the Rams' Super Bowl hopes still hanging in the balance, it's time for Snead to make his.