The New Orleans Saints will continue their 2025 training camp, as they will conduct a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams.  This opportunity will give both teams valuable opportunities to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
The Rams are considered to be one of the better teams in the NFC.  They fell one game short of an NFC Championship appearance in 2024, losing to the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles 28-22 in the NFC Divisional round.
The Rams come into the 2025 season with championship or bust aspirations.  This joint practice will serve as a great marker for the Saints, to evaluate where the team currently stands against an upper echelon squad.
Matchups to watch in Saints -Rams joint practice
Kool-Aid McKinstry vs. Davante Adams
The Saints have a lot of question marks in the secondary that need to be addressed.  Davante Adams and Puka Nacua have the potential to be an electrifying duo in 2025. The Saints have seen a fantastic camp from Kool-Aid McKinstry, but he hasn’t seen a receiver like Adams.
Adams is aging but still very productive, and most importantly, he is an exceptional route runner. Both he and Nacua are widely regarded as one of the best players at their position.  They will provide a strong test for McKinstry.
If McKinstry comes out of Thursday’s joint practice with a strong performance, there’s no stopping the hype train from there. It would only solidify the belief McKinstry is ready to step into the role of the Saints top cornerback.
Saints pass rush vs Rams offensive line
The Saints defensive line had their struggles generating sacks in 2024.  They plan to get after the quarterback more consistently in 2025 with their new 3-4 defensive formation.
On the other hand, the Rams did a fantastic of job keeping Matthew Stafford’s jersey clean in 2024, he was only sacked 28 times in 16 games.  This offensive line will be a great test for a unit that is trying to find their footing in a new system.
Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler vs. Rams 1st team defense
This is the only time the Saints quarterbacks are going to play against another team’s top defense. The Chargers only had some starters play. The Rams won’t play their starters at all, and with it being the last preseason game, the Broncos are unlikely to play many, if any, starters.
As the Saints try to decide who their Week 1 starter will be, this joint practice should weigh heavily in the evaluation. Everything plays a part, but this is the closest either quarterback will come to facing a challenge like the one they’ll face in the regular season. A strong day by Shough or Rattler could give them the lead in the competition.
