The NFL is assigning special “Gold Shield” emblems that only five players in the league will wear next season. These emblems will go to the winners of five coveted awards: MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That means that the Los Angeles Rams will not have just one, but two starters sporting a gold shield. Matthew Stafford and Myles Garrett.
It’s remarkable that Stafford only had one Pro Bowl nod over his first 14 seasons in the NFL. A few years later, Stafford is now the reigning MVP.
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The Rams were even somewhat close to having a third gold shield carrier, as Puka Nacua finished third in the race behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Christian McCaffrey. I believe that JSN won because the Seahawks won the NFC West and got the number one seed. Whereas, McCaffrey would have won if the 49ers took the division, and Puka would have won if it had been the Rams.
Nacua could win Offensive Player of the Year in 2026.
By trading for Garrett, the Rams also added the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. It’s Garrett’s second time winning the honor over the past three seasons.
Somewhat ironically given the context of this article, L.A. traded a former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jared Verse, to acquire Garrett.
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Puka finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023.
The Rams didn’t have any such candidates in 2025, and don’t seem to in 2026. But they do have the reigning MVP, plus Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua, Trent McDuffie, Davante Adams, and Kyren Williams. They could end up with three gold shields in 2027.
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