The Los Angeles Rams have named its staff for the 2026 NFL season, which several surprising names on the list - including Kliff Kingsbury and former receiver Robert Woods
17:58 ET, 23 Feb 2026
Robert Woods played five seasons for the Rams as part of his 12-year career in the NFL
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Robert Woods played five seasons for the Rams as part of his 12-year career in the NFL(Image: Getty Images)
Robert Woods has joined the Los Angeles Rams staff just a week after calling time on his playing career.
The Rams enjoyed a fine season, reaching the NFC Championship before falling to the Seattle Seahawks. Matthew Stafford was named MVP for the first time in his career, and one of his former targets has made the step from playing to coaching.
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Last week, Woods decided to retire from playing in the NFL. Selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, Woods signed with the Rams in 2017 and played for the franchise for five seasons.
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Woods played a single season with Stafford, although injuries kept him to just nine regular-season games. But he collected a ring as the Rams won Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals before getting traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2022.
Woods also spent time with the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Having not played in the 2025 season after the Steelers cut him, the 33-year-old decided to retire, signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Rams.
His search for a new career path didn’t last long. On Monday, the Rams outlined the team’s staff for the 2026 season, and Woods was listed as the franchise’s assistant wide receiver coach.
It’s his first opportunity to coach, taking on this new venture less than a week after retiring as a player. Woods will now hope to follow the footsteps of coaches who have come before him in the successful Rams offensive unit under Sean McVay.
Woods has always been a favorite in Los Angeles, so it’s fitting that his first job will be with the team that signed him as a free agent in 2017. He hails from Gardena, California, attended USC, and played five years with the Rams, so he knows the area well.
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Robert Woods won his sole Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams
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Robert Woods won his sole Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams(Image: Getty Images)
Woods finished his NFL career with 367 catches, 4,626 yards, and 23 touchdown catches, playing 12 seasons in the league.
The former receiver wasn’t the only interesting name to land on the Rams staff for 2026. Kliff Kingsbury, the former Arizona Cardinals head coach and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator, has taken over as assistant head coach behind McVay.
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Kingsbury enjoyed two productive seasons in Washington. After being one of the NFL's top offenses in 2024, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders struggled in 2025, primarily due to injuries, specifically to Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
However, philosophical differences led Kingsbury to depart Washington. He was expected to receive head coach offers following the explosive 2024 season, but nothing materialized — and Kingsbury failed to land any of the 21 offensive coordinator vacancies.
The Rams also promoted Nate Scheelhaase, one of the NFL's top young up-and-coming coaches, to offensive coordinator as the replacement for Mike LaFleur, who left to become the head coach of the Cardinals. Neither Kingsbury nor Scheelhaase will call plays for the Rams; McVay has called plays since becoming the Rams' head coach in 2017.