NFL did the Rams a huge favor with their 2025 schedule that only five other teams have, and it has big implications down the road

The Los Angeles Rams have the 13th hardest schedule in 2025 based on Vegas forecasted win totals for next season, but it doesn't mean there couldn't be solid advantages in the schedule.

The NFL put the Rams' bye in Week 8, a perfect moment to rest players. By doing that, the league will allow Los Angeles to have a great balance of games before and after the bye, which puts the Rams in a good position to be physically well when playoff time comes around.

The Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks are the only other teams with the ideal Week 8 bye.

Last year, the Rams had a bye in Week 6, which is considered too early. Because of that, and with the two playoff games Los Angeles played, the team had games in 14 consecutive weeks—it's a tough task, and it cost them against a physical team like the Philadelphia Eagles in the postseason.

Curiously, the bye was highly impactful for the Rams in 2024. The team had a 1-4 record, coming from two consecutive losses to the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. After the rest, the Rams won three consecutive games, finishing the season with a 9-3 sequence. The 10-7 record was enough to win the NFC West division, getting them the fourth seed in the NFC. The bye was specifically impactful to first-year defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

"When they were asking about Chris and our defensive staff, I just think there's been great agility to say, and part of it was at the bye," head coach Sean McVay said late last season. "It's been an ongoing and evolving thing that is a week in and week out type of deal. Let's look at ourselves collectively. Let's figure out the best ways to utilize our personnel, put them in the right spots based on certain situations that can arise throughout the course of the game, and let's make sure that we're multiple in what we can present."

The bye is a big part of how teams plan their season. And with a coaching staff so innovative and adaptable like the Rams have, a mid-season bye is the perfect outcome.