The Super Bowl window of two former Vols just got shoved open further after latest major NFL transaction
Two VFLs will have another chance to try to reach the summit of the football world over the next two years.
The Los Angeles Rams are one of the top contenders in the NFC for the Super Bowl in 2026 after coming up one game short last season.
And that status should press on to 2027 as well after Friday’s big news reveal. Per ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Rams QB Matthew Stafford has reached an agreement on a one-year, $55 million extension that will keep him with the team through the 2027 season.
Naturally, for Stafford’s teammates, that’s among the best news of the year, as the Rams’ offense remains one of the best in the league with him under center. And two of those teammates happen to be former Tennessee Vols stars in EDGE Byron Young and DB Jaylen McCollough.
Matthew Stafford’s extension pushes open Super Bowl window another season for former Vols Byron Young and Jaylen McCollough
A third-round draft pick by Los Angeles in 2023, Young has come into his own as a crucial part of the Rams’ defense through three NFL seasons. He had solid first two seasons with 8.0 and 7.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024, respectively, but his production took off last year. He notched 12.0 sacks and earned his first Pro Bowl nod.
McCollough went undrafted in 2024, but he signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent and made the 53-man roster. He intercepted his first pass with the help of Tennessee teammate Young back in 2024 against the Packers, one of four interceptions for the then-rookie.
He’s appeared in all 17 games in each of his first two seasons with seven starts.
The Rams should be in position to make a run at the Super Bowl over the next two years, and the two former Vols will play key roles in determining whether that happens.
However, without question, their task will be far easier in 2027 with their star quarterback back with the team.